September 12, 2000

SIXTH RANKED PALADINS DOWN UNCG 3-1 IN SOCON SHOWDOWN

GREENVILLE -- The sixth ranked Furman men's soccer team opened the Southern Conference season Tuesday evening with a huge win over arch-rival UNCG as the Paladins downed the Spartans 3-1 in front of 1,245 fans at Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium.

After a scoreless and evenly played first half in which the two league powers seemed to be getting a feel for each other, the Spartans jumped off to a 1-0 lead as Alejandro Moreno volleyed a Chris Goos header into the net at the 56:41 mark. Moreno¹s goal was the first goal scored against the Paladins all season.

Furman reacted well to its first deficit of the season as freshman Sergei Raad slid a shot past Spartan keeper Greg Raber just five minutes later. John Barry Nusum then scored one of his trademark sensational goals as he connected on a diving header at the 64:21. Vaughn Bethell¹s cross was a few feet off the ground, when the 6-2 Nusum dove to head the ball into the net for Furman¹s first lead of the day.

UNCG and Furman continued to battle in a one-goal game until Raad calmly sank his second goal of the night off a Nusum assist. Nusum beat two Spartan defenders down the right sideline and crossed to the center of the box, where Raad finished the play.

"I thought this was our first real test of the season," said Furman head coach Doug Allison."To go a goal down against a team as good as UNCG and then to come back and win 3-1 shows a lot of character."

Furman wins its fourth meeting against the Spartans in the last five outings. Each year since UNCG joined the league in 1997, the winner of this match has gone on to win the Southern Conference. The Paladins now own a three match winning streak dating back to last season over UNCG.

Furman improves to 4-0 on the season and is ranked in every major poll. The Paladins are 6th in Soccer America, 5th in the NCAA Division I Media Poll, and 15th in the NSCAA poll. UNCG falls to 1-3 with the loss. Two of the Spartans three loses have come to top ten teams (Furman and Wake Forest).

Furman hosts the Umbro/Spinx Furman Invitational this weekend with matches against Stetson on Friday at 7:15 and South Florida on Sunday at 3:15.

Scoring:

• UNCG - Alejandro Moreno (Chris Goos, Svafnir Gislason assists) 56:41
• FU - Sergei Raad (John Barry Nusum assist) 61:18
• FU - John Barry Nusum (Vaughn Bethell, Jack Handy assists) 64:41
• FU - Sergei Raad (John Barry Nusum assist) 83:57

Shots On Goal: Furman -- 10; UNCG -- 10.

Corner Kicks: Furman -- 7; UNCG -- 9.

Saves: Furman -- 3; UNCG -- 4.

Fouls: Furman -- 20; UNCG -- 9.