Game 21 November 18, 2001
#18 Furman 2, UNC Greensboro 1 N
In the Southern Conference tournament final, Furman played a UNC Greensboro team that it had defeated 3-1 just eight days earlier. The Spartans had revenge on their minds early as they capitalized on sloppy first half play and took a 1-0 lead just over ten minutes into the match. Furman found the equalizer in the 64th minute as Anthony Esquivel turned on his defender and scored off assists from Clint Hill and Matt Foxhall. Esquivel provided the last minute heroics as well as he beat one defender and scored off an Asgeir Asgeirsson assist in the last two minutes of the match to give the Paladins the 2-1 win. Esquivel was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player with his three goal performance on the weekend. Joining him with all-tournament honors were Andy Kidd, Kenneth Penn, and Patrick Tanner. With the win, Furman claimed its third consecutive SoCon Tournament title, and its fourth in the last five years. Furman also earned an automatic bid to its third straight NCAA Tournament. Furman improved to 1 7-4 on the season and extended their conference unbeaten streak to 33 matches. This streak is currently the fourth longest in NCAA history.
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Game 20 November 17, 2001
#18 Furman 1, College of Charleston 0 A
In the semifinals of the 2001 Southern Conference Tournament, Furman battled a College of Charleston team that is always tough in the playoffs. The 2001 Cougars were no different as the Paladins won a hard-fought match 1-0. The lone goal of the match came off a Patrick Tanner shot just before halftime. Tanner's shot came directly off a Clint Dempsey corner kick, and squeezed into the near post. For Tanner, it was his second game-winning goal of the tournament. Furman outshot Charleston 18-8, and goalkeeper Scott Blount came up big for the Paladins as he made five saves on the match. With the win, Furman earned the right to play UNCG in the Paladinsı ninth consecutive Southern Conference tournament final appearance. Furman improved to 16-4 on the year.
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Game 19 November 15, 2001
#18 Furman 3, Wofford 0 N
After dropping a 7-0 match to Furman earlier in the season, Wofford attempted to pack ten defenders in the box against the Paladins in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament in Charleston, South Carolina. Woffordıs strategy worked for a half, as the two teams went to the intermission deadlocked at 0-0, depsite Furman outshooting Wofford 10-2. Furman finally broke away with a Patrick Tanner goal less than five minutes into the second half. Furman then tacked on two more goals as John Barry Nusum and Anthony Esquivel each scored in a 58-second stretch midway through the second half. Furman improved to 15-4 with the win, and extended their Southern Conference unbeaten streak to 31 games. The Paladins earned the right to battle tournament host College of Charleston in the semifinals of the tournament.
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Game 18 November 10, 2001
#20 Furman 3, UNC Greensboro 1 A
Furman clinched the outright Southern Conference title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament with a 3-1 win over UNC Greensboro. The Paladins were paced offensively by Hermann Trophy and MAC Award candidate John Barry Nusum who scored two goals and recored one assist on the evening. Sergei Raad opened the scoring midway through the first half, but UNCG tied the score before halftime. Nusum scored both of his goals in the second half in a span of 16 minutes. Both goals were unassisted. With the win, Furman finished the Southern Conference regular season 8-0 for the third consecutive season as they claimed their fourth consecutive Southern Conference title. For the Paladins, it was their 11th title in 12 years.
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Game 17 November 3, 2001
#21 Furman 1, Davidson 0 A
Furman travelled to Davidson, NC to take on a Wildcat team that was sitting in third place in the Southern Conference. After 43 minutes of scoreless soccer, Furman's Clint Hill received the ball in the penalty box, turned on his defender, and was fouled. Anthony Esquivel converted the penalty kick to give the Paladins the 1-0 lead. Goalkeeper Scott Blount helped preserve the win as he stopped a breakaway one-on-one at the 71:45 mark, and then made another diving save on a Davidson free kick with under five minutes to play. With the win, Furman improved to 13-4 overall and 7-0 in the conference, extending their conference unbeaten streat to 29 matches. The Paladins also clinched at least a share of the regular season Southern Conference title.
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Game 16 October 31, 2001
#21 Furman 7, Wofford 0 H
In Furman's last regular season home match of the year, Furman Soccer recognized and honored this seasons' seniors for their hard work and dedication. Seniors Vaughn Bethell, Scott Blount, Ted Figard, Matt Goldsmith, Jack Handy, John Barry Nusum, and Moffat Oduor were recognized prior to the start of the match. Furman then proceeded to dominate Wofford on Senior Night, outshooting the Terriers 26-2 and winning the match 7-0. John Barry Nusum opened the scoring less than 12 minutes into the match, and Sergei Raad and Scott Hoch also added first half goals for Furman. Nusum then scored two goals in a span of 38 seconds to notch his fifth career hat-trick. Clint Dempsey added the gameıs sixth goal with under five minutes to play. Then, in a bizarre turn of events, senior goalkeeper Scott Blount donned Luke Barbours No. 14 jersey and entered the game at forward. With under one minute to play, Blount broke free and converted a 1-on-1 with Woffordıs keeper becoming the first Paladin ever to score a goal and make a save in the same match. Furman improved to 12-4 overall and 6-0 in conference play.
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Game 15 October 28, 2001
#15 Furman 4, Michigan 0 N
Furman bounced back with a dominating 4-0 victory over Michigan in the FIU Soccer Classic in Miami, Florida. Interestingly, Michiganıs leading scorer was a junior forward named Jody Keeling who transferred from Furman after the 2000 season. Furman kept relentless pressure on Michigan as they out shot the Wolverines 22-4 for the match. Furman took a first half lead on an own goal as a Michigan defender headed a cross past his own keeper and into the net. Anthony Esquivel converted a penalty kick to close the first half and give Furman a 2-0 lead at halftime. Clint Dempsey added to the lead less than three minutes into the second half, and John Barry Nusum scored his tenth goal of the season with just over five minutes to play to end the scoring. Again, Furman battled through a physical match that produced nine yellow cards and two red cards. Furman improved to 11-4.
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Game 14 October 26, 2001
Kentucky 1, #15 Furman 0 N
The 15th ranked Furman Paladins travelled to Miami, Florida to participate in the FIU Soccer Classic hosted by Florida International with matches against Kentucky and Michigan. In the tournament opener, Kentucky defeated Furman 1-0. The Wildcats scored a goal early in the match, and Furman could never find the back of the net for the equalizer. The matched proved to be a physical one, as 43 fouls were called and nine yellow cards were issued. Withthe loss, Furman fell to 10-4. It was the Paladins' first loss in a tournament this season
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Game 13 October 19, 2001
#15 Furman 7, VMI 2 H
After suffering consecutive losses for the first time since the 1995 season, Furman returned to its winning ways and to Southern Conference action with a 7-2 win over VMI. Furman had six players score goals, as John Barry Nusum paced the Paladins with two goals and one assist. Both teams started the match at a blistering pace, as the halftime score was 5-2. Freshman Luke Barbour scored his first career goal less than four minutes into the match. Before the 11-minute mark, Sergei Raad and Matt Goldsmith made it 3-0. Nusum scored his two goal in a three minute stretch in the first half. Andy Chase and Scott Hoch added goals in the second half. Furma improved to 10-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
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Game 12 October 17, 2001
#11 Clemson 3, #15 Furman 2 (2OT) H
In a renewel of a heated upstate rivalry, Furman played host to the 11th ranked Clemson Tigers at Eugene Stone III Soccer Stadium. Both teams started out fast and furious, blitzing each other for a combined four goals in the first half. Furman fell behind twice in the half, but found the equalizer both times. Patrick Tanner tied the score at 1-1 at the 19:32 mark as he knocked in a chipped pass with a scissors kick. After falling behind 2-1, Anthony Esquivel tied the score at the 34:01 after intercepting a poor cleared ball and passing the ball into an empty Clemson net. Clemson went down a man after a playerıs second yellow card came in the 60th minute. The Tigers then went down two men after a Clemson defender received a straight red card in the 88th minute. Despite being up by two men, Furman could not find a game-winning goal. Clemson did, however, and took away a 3-2 vicotry with a goal in the 112th minute of play. This was the first time that Furman had lost consecutive matches since 1995 as the Paladins fell to 9-3 on the year.
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Game 11 October 14, 2001
#8 UAB 2, #13 Furman 1 A
Furman travelled to UAB to take on the Blazers in a match that had been scheduled, cancelled, and finally rescheduled for the two teams. UAB took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. Furman battled back to tie the score as Matt Goldsmith scored on a Sergei Raad assist. UAB took the lead for good with just over 15 minutes to play inthe match. The Blazers won an extremely physical match that produced 40 fouls, five yellow cards, and two red cards. Furman dropped to 9-2 on the year with the loss.
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Game 10 October 10, 2001
#13 Furman 3, Georgia Southern 0 H
Furman continued its winning ways in conference play despite falling to 13th in the national polls. With the 3-0 win over Georgia Southern, the Paladins extended their conference match unbeaten streak to 26 games dating back to the beginning of the 1999 season. Furman jumped on Georgia Southern early in the match as Scott Hoch scored a goal less than nine minutes in to give Furman a 1-0 lead. The Eagles refused to give up a goal for the next 75 minutes as Furman pounded the ball offensively, outshooting the Eagles 27-12 for the match. Furman finally tacked on two more goals as Clint Dempsey and Anthony Ésquivel extended the lead to 3-0. Withthe win, Furman improved to 9-1 on the year and 4-0 in the Southern Conference.
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Game 9 October 6, 2001
#3 Furman 4, Appalchian State 1 A
The third-ranked Furman Paladins returned to Southern Conference action as they travelled to Boone, NC to take on Appalachian State on the astro-turf of Kidd Brewer Stadium. Again, Furman took an early lead as Asgeir Asgeirsson put the Paladins on top at the 24-minute mark. The Paladins tacked on three more goals in the second half as Scott Hoch, Andy Chase, and Sergei Raad each recorded goals in a span of just over 20 minutes. Appalachian State got a single goal with under two minutes to play, giving Furman a solid 4-1 win on the road. With the win, Furman improved its conference record to 3-0 and its overall record to 8-1.
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Game 8 October 3, 2001
#13 South Carolina 3, #3 Furman 2 (2OT) H
After winning the Clemson/Nike Soccer Invitational, Furman improved to number three in the national polls, matching its highest ever ranking. Furman renewed what has become an intense in-state rivalry as it welcomed South Carolina, alma mater of coaches Doug Allison and Charlie Arndt, to Eugene Stone III Soccer Stadium. Furman took an early lead on an Asgeir Asgeirsson goal at the 13:11 mark. The Paladins' 1-0 lead stood until halftime before South Carolina tied the score. At the 53:24 mark, Furman suffered a trememdous blow as defender Moffat Oduor received his second yellow card of the match. The Paladins had to play the remainder of the match down a man. Despite this, Furman regained the lead after Andy Chase coverted a penalty kick with just over 20 minutes to go. South Carolina answered back with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Neither team scored in the first overtime, and with just 1:47 remaining in the second overtime period, South Carolina finally found the game-winner. With the loss, Furman fell to 7-1 on the season.
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Game 7 September 30, 2001
#4 Furman 2, Cal-Poly SLO 1 N
Furman finished the Clemson/Nike Soccer Invitational 2-0 after defeating Cal-Poly SLO 2-1. Furman fell behind early in the match as Cal-Poly took the lead less than three minutes in to the game. Furman answered back as Jack Handy tied the score roughly 20 minutes later on a header off a Clint Dempsey pass. The teams battled to a 1-1 tie through halftime. Furman finally took a lead as Sergei Raad scored his third goal of the tournament with just over 25 minutes left to play. Furman held on in the final minutes thanks to two clutch saves from goalkeeper Scott Blount. Furman was declared tournament champion based ongoal differential. Sergei Raad was named the tournament's offensive MVP, while Matt Goldsmith, Jack Handy, and Andy Kidd each earned all-tournament honors. Furman improved to 7-0 on the year.
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Game 6 September 28, 2001
#4 Furman 3, #20 Virginia Commonwealth 0 N
The fourth-ranked Furman Paladins played their second ranked team of the season, this time facing 20th-ranked Virginia Commonwealth in the opening match of the Clemson/Nike Soccer Invitational. Furman was paced offensiviely by sophomoroe Sergei Raad. Raad scored the opening goal of the match almost 22 minutes into the game to give the Paladins a 1-0 lead that held up until halftime. Raad added to the lead less than five minutes into the second half as he added his second goal of the match. Junior Andy Chase tacked on the third and final goal of the match with less than six minutes remaining. Furman won an extremely physical match that saw the teams whistled for a combined 46 fouls and six yellow cards. Furman improved to 6-0 on the year.
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Game 5 September 25, 2001
#4 Furman 4, College of Charleston 0 A
Head coach Doug Allison and the Furman soccer team travelled to Charleston in search of Allison's 100th career victory. The Paladins started the attack early as Patrick Tanner gave Furman a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the match. Sergei Raad and Clint Dempsey also added first half goals. John Barry Nusum, having recently become Furman's all-time leading goal scorer, added to his total and gave Furman a 4-0 lead that held on to the end of the match. Nusumıs performance against The Citadel and Charleston earned hm a spot on Soccer America's Team-of-the-Week. After the match, a soaking wet Doug Allison remarked after being drenched by the team's water cooler, "Iıve been very fortunate to have excellent players who have come together to form some great teams." Allison became one of the fastest coaches in history to reach 100 wins. His career mark is currently 100-25-9, ranking him second in winning percentage among the NCAA's active coaches. With the win, Furman improved to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in coference play.
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Game 4 September 22, 2001
#4 Furman 5, The Citadel 0 H
Furman returned to the field after almost two weeks off following the tragic events that occurred on September 11th. The Paladins' trip to Indianapolis to take on Indiana and Butler was cancelled. After their performance in the Umbro/Spinx Furman Invitational, the Paladins improved to fourth in the nation. Furman picked up where it left off by defeating The Citadel 5-0 in its Southern Conference opener. The Paladins were led by senior forward John Barry Nusum who recorded his fourth career hat-trick. Nusum has scored a hat-trick in his last three meetings with the Citadel. Also notching goals for Furman were Jack Handy and Ted Figard. With his three-goal and one assist performance, John Barry Nusum eclipsed Andrew Burr's career goal record of 50. Nusum currently leads the Paladins as their all-time leading scorer in goals and points. After breaking the record, Nusum was also named the Southern Conference Player-of-the-Week. With the win, Furman improved to 4-0 on the season with a 1-0 mark in the Southern Conference.
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Game 3 September 9, 2001
#5 Furman 4, Florida International 1 H
Furman concluded the Umbro-Spinx Furman Invitational with a 4-1 win over Florida International. Furman took an early 1-0 lead in the first ten minutes of the match as Sergei Raad put the Paladins on top. Furman began their second half offensive attack early scoring two goals in the first two minutes of the half. John Barry Nusum connected from Asgeir Asgeirsson and Sergei Raad to give thPaladins a 2-0 lead. Asgeirsson made it 3-0 less than one minute later as he scored his first career goal. Andy Chase added an insurance goal later in the half. Furman finished the tournament weekend with a 2-0 record and Sergei Raad and Scott Blount were named to the all-tournament team. John Barry Nusum, with his three goal performance over the weekend, was named the offensive MVP of the tournament and was named to the national team-of-the-week by Soccer America and College Soccer News. With the win, Furman improved its record to 3-0 on the season.
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Game 2 September 7, 2001
#5 Furman 3, #20 Notre Dame 2 (OT) H
Furman hosted the second annual Umbro-Spinx Furman Invitational at Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Joining the fifth ranked Paladins in the field were No. 16 Clemson, No. 20 Notre Dame, and Florida International. Furman trailed twice in its match against Notre Dame, as the Irish took 1-0 and 2-1 leads. John Barry Nusum scored Furman's first goal in the first half, and Sergei Raad knotted the socre at 2-2 off a set free kick with less than ten minutes remaining. Deep into the second overtime period, 109 minutes into the match, Raad beat the Notre Dame defense down the right side. His cross was headed in by Nusum to give Furman a 3-2 win in what head coach Doug Allison called, "one of the best [he had] ever been a part of." With the win, the Paladins improved to 2-0 on the season.
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Game 1 August 31, 2001
#5 Furman 7, Belmont 0 H
The fifth ranked Paladins drubbed Belmont 7-0, led by sophomore Scott Hoch's three goal and one assist performance. For Hoch, it was his first career hat-trick. Furman scored early in the first hafl as Vaughn Bethell and Andy Chase notched goals in the first 20 minutes. The Paladins turned it on in the second half as Ted Figard opened up a 20 minute scoring spree that resulted in five Paladin goals. Joining Figard during that stretch was Anthony Esquivel along wtih Hoch's three goals. For his performance, Hoch earned Southern Conference Player-of-the-Week honors. With the win, the Paladins started the season 1-0.
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Exhibition Match August 24, 2001
#5 Furman 2, US Under-17 0 H
The Paladin soccer team opened the season with high expectations. Furman was ranked fifth in Soccer America's preseason poll and ranked seventh in the preseason poll by College Soccer News. The Paladins were also picked by the Southern Conference coaches as the favorite to win the conference, as they return ten starters from last season and welcome a freshman class touted as the fouth best in the nation. Senior John Barry Nusum was announced as a finalist for the Hermann Trophy and the MAC award, as well as being named a preseason first-team all-American. Scott Blount, McNeil Cronin, Jack Handy, and Matt Goldsmith joined Nusum on the preseason all-conference team. Furman welcomed the Under-17 U.S. National Team as part of their tour of the upstate. After a scoreless first half, the Paladins took a 1-0 lead on a John Barry Nusum goal. Sophomore McNeil Cronin sealed the victory with three minutes remaining in the match, giving Furman the 2-0 victory.
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