Box Score Game Box (PDF)
Spartanburg, S.C. – Scout Montieth's goal in the 51st minute was the difference as Lipscomb took a 1-0 victory over USC Upstate in A-Sun men's soccer action Saturday night at County University Soccer Stadium.
Upstate has four points in the A-Sun standings and has two games remaining in the regular season to battle for a spot in the A-Sun Tournament. Lipscomb has 12 points in the A-Sun standings and is on solid ground to claim one of the six tournament positions.
The Upstate defense came up huge in the first 10 minutes to keep Lipscomb off the scoreboard. The first came from goalkeeper Dani Alvarado in the 10th minute. After a foul deep in Upstate territory gave the Bisons a free kick, Omar Djabi sent a shot that curved around the wall and toward the right side of the net. Alvarado made a diving save to punch the ball out of the box. Less than a minute later, Lipscomb took a corner kick and placed a shot toward the open portion of the goal. However, Matt Flynn was there to head the ball away and keep Lipscomb off the scoreboard.
Upstate's Michael Rankin-Byrne gave Upstate its best opportunity to score in the first half. He gained possession about 25 yards out from the goal just shaded to the right side of center. He spun around and created space enough to get off a left-footed shot in the 21st minute. Lipscomb goalkeeper Micah Bledsoe managed to just tip it over the crossbar to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard.
Lipscomb held an 8-4 lead in shots in the first half. Alvarado made two saves on the two Bisons shots placed on goal. Bledsoe made three saves on Upstate shots placed on goal.
Lipscomb pressured early in the second half and was the first to crack the scoreboard in the 51st minute off a corner kick. Matt Kerridge started things off when he took the corner kick and played the ball back to Robbie Johnson. On his first touch, Johnson lifted a cross deep into the box where Montieth placed a looping header into the goal for his first goal of the season and a 1-0 Bisons lead.
From that point on, neither team managed to find the back of the net as Lipscomb held on for the 1-0 win. The teams combined for nine shots following Montieth's goal, but only three shots were put on goal and all were saved by Alvarado.
Lipscomb finished the game with a 17-5 lead in shots and took eight corner kicks. Alvarado led Upstate with five saves, while Bledsoe tallied three.
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