Courtesy: JMUSports.com http://www.jmusports.com Justin Epperson made six saves for the Dukes, who out-shot UNCW 16-12. The Seahawks are unbeaten in their last eight games (6-0-2).
HARRISONBURG, Va., Oct. 28, 2009 -- The 23rd-ranked (NSCAA) North Carolina Wilmington men's soccer team scored two early second-half goals in a 2-0 Colonial Athletic Association win at JamesMadison Wednesday evening.
The Seahawks extended their unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2) while improving their overall record to 10-2-3 and their CAA record to 6-0-2. UNCW remains the only CAA team unbeaten in league play, but the Seahawks (20 points) remain second in the league standings behind Northeastern (7-1-0, 21 points).
JMU's record slipped to 8-5-2 overall and 3-4-1 in CAA games. The Dukes are seventh in the CAA standings (10 points).
UNCW's scores came just five minutes apart, in the 53rd and 58th minutes.
The first goal came when junior Tyler Clare (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) flicked a throw-in from sophomore Christian Davidson (Sugar Land, Texas/Strake Jesuit) off his head to junior Tyler Wheaton (Tryon, N.C./Polk County). Wheaton's header crossed the goalmouth at the far post at the 52:01 mark.
The second score came at 57:03 on a hard shot by junior Daniel Roberts (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements), an attempt that was initially headed toward the right side of the goal. The ball deflected off Wheaton and went in the opposite direction. JMU redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Justin Epperson (Herndon, Va./Oakton) was diving to his left while the deflection sent the ball to Epperson's right and into the goal.
Both teams had some quality scoring chances in the first half.
In the 16th minute, a UNCW corner was headed away by a JMU player but was controlled by Roberts. He one-timed a hard shot back toward the goal. The ball deflected off a JMU player but Epperson was able to make the stop.
Less than a minute later JMU junior Stefan Durr (Garmisch, Germany/Munich International) hit the left goalpost when he blasted a shot from just outside the box on a sharp angle to the left corner of the goal.
In the 37th minute UNCW junior Allen Lomax (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman) controlled a ball just outside the box when the JMU defense failed to cleanly clear the ball. Epperson made another stop on Lomax's strong shot from 20 yards.
The Dukes had some near misses in the second half. A shot by Durr in the 47th minute was just wide of the goal, and a header by junior Kieran Rice (Burke, Va./Gonzaga) in the 67th minute hit the post.
An apparent JMU goal in the 70th minute was disallowed. UNCW junior goalkeeper Brock Duckworth (Parker, Texas/Plano East) had possession of the ball and took a kick that hit off Rice in the box and landed at the feet of freshman Marcus Björkheim (Bergen, Norway/Fana Gymnas), who sent the ball into an empty net. However, a hand ball was called on Rice, negating the score.
JMU's Epperson finished with six saves while Duckworth made five saves as he recorded his fifth shutout of the year. It was Epperson's first action of the year as he substituted for junior goalkeeper Ken Manahan (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor), who was sidelined due to illness.
JMU held a 16-12 advantage on shots.
UNCW won in Harrisonburg for the first time in 15 tries. JMU's home record against UNCW now stands at 13-1-1.
Courtesy: JMUSports.com
