The men’s soccer team (6-5-1) evened their conference record to 2-2 after a 2-1 victory against USC Upstate (3-7, 1-2) Saturday night. The game was the fourth Lipscomb win in a row over the Spartans.
The match was the only conference game played all weekend after the other four were cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew.
“We knew we had to keep playing our game and keep fighting,” commented redshirt sophomore forward Logan Paynter. “We knew we would break them down with our style of play if we kept at it.”
A quick shot in the 16th minute got behind senior goalkeeper Micah Bledsoe and led to a Spartan 1-0 lead, setting the tone for the rest of the half.
Throughout the first 45 minutes USC Upstate outshot Lipscomb 7-4, despite the Bisons having a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks.
“At halftime we were very specific about what we had to do: be aware of every opportunity,” noted junior forward Ivan Sakou.
The Bisons came out in the second half significantly more aggressive on both offense and defense, leading to several hopeful counter attacks; however, the team failed to finish many set pieces and passes into the box early in the half.
In the 65th minute, Logan Paynter caught a quick pass in the 6-yard box and sent a powerful shot past the goalkeeper to even the score 1-1. The goal was assisted by Ivan Sakou and junior midfielder and forward Ivan Alvarado.
The goal proved to be a big momentum turner for the Bisons, who got 7 shots off in the next 10 minutes.
Lipscomb continued the strong offensive play for the remainder of the half, culminating in the 89th minute when Ivan Alvarado floated a pass over the defense near the goal, and Logan Paynter rocketed the ball to the left of the goalkeeper for the 2-1 win. The score was Paynter’s second of the game and seventh of the season.
“Once we got the first goal we knew the second would come; we just had to keep our focus on the defensive side and keep the pressure going,” said Paynter.
The Bisons finished the game with 14 shots and eight on goal compared to the Spartans’ seven shots and three on goal. Lipscomb also had 12 corners, double the number of USC Upstate.
“We’ve had a tough run lately, but this win is going to power us through and spark the rest of the season,” commented Ivan Sakou.
The Bisons continue home play next Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex against UAB.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics