MOUNT OLIVE (Oct. 8) – After featuring five different goal scorers on Saturday afternoon, the University of Mount Olive men's soccer team cruised past King by a 6-1 margin in Conference Carolinas action at Amon Field.
With the win, the Trojans improve to 8-5 this season behind a 5-3 record in league play. Mount Olive currently sits third in the conference standings with 15 points behind Converse and Chowan, which tied 2-2 today. Meanwhile, the Tornado drop to 2-7-2 overall with a 1-5-1 mark in conference action.
After pressuring the attacking half of the pitch in the opening 15-plus minutes, UMO got on the board on a goal from sophomore
Luka Perendija off an assist from teammate
Christen Lugo-Elibox to take a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. Under a minute later, freshman
Pablo Herrera tallied his first collegiate goal on a header after a free-kick was sent into the box by junior
Walter Gomez, 2-0.
In the second half, Mount Olive was awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute and senior
Trevor Berk scored after slotting the ball into the left-corner of the net, 3-0. At the 58:49-mark, Berk drove the ball toward the 18-yard box before delivering a cross to senior
Ethan Willie, who headed it into the net, his third goal of the year, to stretch the lead to 4-0. After multiple substitutions, the Tornado was able to trim the deficit to 4-1 on a goal by sophomore Kenneth Walton at the 73:24-mark. The Trojans quickly restored the four-goal advantage after sophomore
Chris Padilla scored on a header off a free-kick from freshman
Joao Barboza Filho in the 83rd minute. Padilla would add his second goal of the match just under two minutes later after receiving a through ball from Lugo-Elibox to take a 6-1 lead.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Axel Engren earned the victory and the combined shutout after recording two saves on three shots faced in 67:49 minutes of play, while fellow sophomore
Ryan Schmitt finished the final 22-plus minutes of the match.
Mount Olive out-shot King by a 32-5 margin, including an 11-3 lead in shots on goal, while also posting an 8-1 edge in corner kicks.
UMO returns to play on Tuesday, Oct. 11, when it travels to face Belmont Abbey in conference action with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
