MOUNT OLIVE (Oct. 14) – The University of Mount Olive men's soccer program was unable to halt a second-half surge from Belmont Abbey on Saturday night and fell by a 4-2 margin on Senior Day in Conference Carolinas action.
With the loss, the Trojans fall to 2-7-3 this season with a 2-5-2 mark in conference play. UMO concedes four goals for the first time this season and snaps a four-match winning streak in the series with BAC. Meanwhile, the Crusaders collect their third straight victory and improve to 8-4-1 overall behind a 6-2-0 record in league action.
Mount Olive registered the opening goal of the contest in the 19th minute, as junior
Guilherme Semola found teammate
Christen Lugo-Elibox, who scored into the left side of the net from the top of the box, 1-0. The Trojans continued to apply pressure on the offensive end with two more shots on goal, which were saved. The Crusaders tallied two shots and a corner kick to finish the first half, as UMO held a one-goal lead.
In the second half, Mount Olive stretched the advantage to 2-0 after senior
Greg Boko delivered a header into the back of the net off a free kick into the box from teammate
Kevin Avila at the 62:06 mark. Just over five minutes later, Belmont Abbey cut into the deficit as Felipe Baptista fired a free kick into the top-right corner of the goal, 2-1. The Crusaders quickly tied it at 2-2 in the 68th minute after a corner kick into the box fell to Brett Ramsey, who hammered it home. Less than six minutes later, Belmont Abbey was awarded a penalty kick and Gomez stepped to the spot and scored to take the lead, 3-2. At the 84:00 mark, BAC sealed the win with an insurance goal to earn the 4-2 comeback win.
Senior
Ryan Schmitt earned the start and played in the opening minutes before junior
Axel Engren tallied two saves in 86-plus minutes of play.
The Crusaders finished with an 11-7 shot advantage while both teams registered three corner kicks.
The Trojans are idle for a week before returning to face Converse on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at 6 p.m.