GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team (5-2-6, 2-0-1 SoCon) resumes Southern Conference (SoCon) play on Saturday, ending a three-game road stand by taking on the conference-leading Wofford Terriers (8-3-3, 3-0-1 SoCon) in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Kickoff from Snyder Field is slated for 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Initially voted fifth in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll, Wofford has won its last three conference tilts by a margin of 7-0, with the Spartans also unbeaten in SoCon play having taken part in one fewer match. Saturday's match starts a key final stretch for Head Coach Chris Rich and company, as the Terriers (first in the SoCon), Furman (third) and ETSU (fourth) are all on deck over a seven-day stretch.
Game 14: UNCG at Wofford
Date & time: Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 p.m.
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Location: Spartanburg, S.C. | Snyder Field
Coverage: Live Stats | ESPN+
Social media: Follow the UNC Greensboro men's soccer team on Instagram (@uncgsoccer), Twitter (@UNCGsoccer), and Facebook (UNCGMensSoccer) to keep track of all the action and updates.
Series history vs. Wofford
Saturday is the 34th meeting all-time between the Spartans and Terriers, UNCG holding a 25-7-1 advantage all-time. The Blue & Gold sported a five-game winning streak from 2018-22 before the pair battled to an even 1-1-1 record over the past three seasons. Last season's matchup yielded a dominant 3-0 win for the Spartans, alumni Enzo Dovlo and Kimito Fritz scoring alongside Sigurd Saeveraas while the UNCG defense held Wofford to no shots on target.
Scouting the Terriers
Second-year Head Coach Ryan Osborne has the Terriers potentially tracking for the team's best season since 2016, where Wofford went 12-7-0. Currently 8-3-3 with two matches left, Osborne's squad has reached the eight-win threshold for the second time since that 2016 season.
Fabian Menendez leads the team with 11 points, having netted four times and assisting another three goals. He leads a group of eight Terriers with multiple goals, joined by each of Scott Cheevers, Adam Celik and Franklin Spires with at least three each. Seven Wofford players sport multiple assists, led by Clemens Astrup with four; Menendez, Sam Case and Bradley Takamo all have three.
Goalkeeper Pepe Hinterschuster has started 12 games between the sticks for Wofford, sporting a 7-2-2 record with 30 stops and a 1.19 goals allowed average. For the season, the Terriers sport a plus-7 goal differential (24-17); in four SoCon games this campaign, they have an 8-1 advantage.
Last time out for UNCG
UNCG drew 1-1 at High Point in the Piedmont Triad Derby, a goal from Keaviano Francis in the third minute of action cancelled out by a first-half tally from the Panthers. The Spartans continued to excel defensively, limiting a High Point side that entered the game ranked ninth nationally in scoring offense to just four shots on target and the lone goal on the night.
Team leaders for the Spartans
Francis' goal against the Panthers brought him to seven for the year, the senior midfielder leading UNCG with a career-high 16 points overall. Fellow midfielder Caleb Borneo ranks second with 14 points himself, coming on five goals and two assists; similar to his classmate, Borneo is also putting together a career-best campaign.
Filipe Matos (2G, 3A) and Malo Jungling (3G, 1A) rank tied for third with seven points each, while Lasse Dahl (1G, 4A) and Torre (2G, 2A) are on six for the year. Trym Linberg's assist on Francis' strike against the Panthers ties him with Dahl for the team high.
UNCG firsts on the season
Mason Dancy, Gavin DeHart, Jungling, Mathis Robinand and Bautista Schmidt have all recorded their first collegiate points this season while donning the Blue & Gold. For the quartet of Dancy, Jungling, Robinand and Schmidt, it's been through scoring a goal.
Players of the week watch
UNCG has had six players earn recognition as a SoCon Player of the Week, the most of any team in the conference. Francis (Sept. 1), Borneo (Sept. 2) and Jungling (Sept. 22) have all taken home offensive Player of the Week honors, while Linberg (Aug. 25), Wilson (Sept. 15) and Robinand (Oct. 13) have been recognized defensively.
The Spartans remain the only team in the conference with more than three honorees and multiple recognitions on both sides of the ball.
Spartans around the conference
UNCG leads the SoCon in goal differential (plus-10) and team goals against average (1.077), while ranking second in five other categories: points per game (5.38), save percentage (.736), scoring offense (1.85), shutout percentage (.308) and overall record (.615).
At the national level, UNCG stands 40th in shot accuracy (.460), 41st among Division I teams in goal differential, 49th in team goals against average, 54th in scoring offense and 58th in points per game.
Midfielders making it happen
Following Tuesday night, the trio of Francis, Borneo and Jungling have combined for 14 goals and seven assists; their combined point total of 35 is half of UNCG's team total of 70. Jungling, who has played in just six games for the Blue & Gold this year, is averaging over a point per game.
Newcomers continuing to produce
Fifty-one of UNCG's 70 points (73%) this season have come from first-year transfers or freshmen so far.
Continuing to limit danger
High Point was the first side since then-No. 6 South Carolina to register more than 10 shots against the Spartans, registering 15. Only four were on goal, for the second consecutive game; UNCG also held VMI to four attempts on net in a 4-0 shutout of the Keydets on Oct. 17.
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UNCG returns home for the final two games of the regular season, beginning with Furman on Tuesday, Oct. 27 after the match against the Paladins was rescheduled from the initial date of Oct. 3. Kickoff from UNCG Soccer Stadium is slated for 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+, with a food truck in attendance.
