November 16, 2002
MT. PLEASANT, SC -- Anthony Esquivel scored two goals and added an assist as seventh-ranked Furman defeated UNCG 3-0 on a saturated Patriot's Point Field. With the win, Furman advances to the Southern Conference Men's Soccer Tournament Championship. The match was called at the 73:49 mark due to unplayable field conditions.
Furman extended its conference unbeaten streak to 43 matches, setting a new NCAA record. Furman’s streak dates back to the beginning of the 1999 season. Furman surpasses the previous record of 42 matches held by Clemson in the ACC from 1972-1980.
Scott Hoch opened the scoring at the 25:32 mark with his second goal of the tournament. Esquivel played a through ball that got stuck in a puddle of water. Hoch ran onto the ball and slotted his first touch past UNCG goalkeeper Jay Benfield for his tenth goal of the season.
Esquivel widened the lead near the end of the first half as he netted his 11th goal of the season at the 43:07 mark. Hoch threaded a square ball through the UNCG penalty box to Esquivel, who shot the ball to the near post.
Esquivel netted his second goal of the match early in the second half. Clint Hill passed the ball to Esquivel at the top of the penalty box. Esquivel beat his defender with his first touch, and blasted his second touch past Benfield at the 56:07 mark.
Esquivel has thrived in matches against UNCG. In last season's conference tournament, Esquivel was named 2001 Tournament MVP as he scored two goals in the final 27 minutes as the Paladins defeated UNCG 2-1. Earlier this season, Esquivel scored the game-winner in overtime against the Spartans as he found the back of the net just three minutes into overtime.
Alex Maslow made four saves to record his eighth shutout of the season.
"The field conditions were tough today," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "Our guys played smart and came away with a great conference victory. This unbeaten streak is a great testament to the character and heart of our players."
Furman's defense extended its shutout streak to nine matches, tying it for the fourth longest streak in NCAA history. Wisconsin-GB, Virginia, and SMU each hold ten match shutout streaks, the most recent coming from Wisconsin-GB in 1992. Furman also improved on another school record as it has put together 852 consecutive shutout minutes.
With the win, Furman improves to 17-2-1, while UNCG falls to 14-8.
Scoring Summary:
Shots: Furman -- 7; UNCG -- 11
Saves: Furman -- 5; UNCG -- 1
Corner Kicks: Furman -- 1; UNCG -- 9
Fouls: Furman -- 22; UNCG -- 18