Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC— Adam Brundle picked the right time to score his first goal as an Eagle as his strike from 30-35 yards out slipped past Georgia Southern goalkeeper Bradley Bugg, giving Winthrop a 5-4 victory in double-overtime Thursday evening at Eagle Field in the Big South/Southern Shootout.
Winthrop improves to 2-0 on the season while Georgia Southern, which has now scored nine goals in its first two games, falls to 1-1. Wofford College defeated Gardner-Webb 2-1 in the first game of the day.

“Obviously pleased that we were able to score five goals tonight,” said Winthrop head men's soccer coach Rich Posipanko. “However the other end of that is giving up four. Our one-on-one individual tackling was very poor as well as our defensive unit as a whole. We still have quite a bit of work to do and I would expect after next weekend against Furman we should have our starting line-up and substitution patterns set.”
Brundle settled a cleared ball at midfield and took off immediately into the open space. He dribbled to within 35 yards out and ripped a shot at goal that knuckled through the air and past Bugg.

Winthrop led 4-3 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the match, but GSU tied it in the 82 minute with a quick restart. After the Eagles were whistled for a foul just outside the 18-yard box toward the sideline, Clendining played a quick pass into the box while Winthrop's defense wasn't paying attention and Hunter Norton slipped in and his shot beat Enrique Miranda to the near top corner.

Winthrop took a 1-0 lead in the 16^th minute when Akeem Matthews scored his first collegiate goal on a rebound after the keeper made the initial save. Freshman Mpumelelo Matutu served the ball into the box from the wing and junior Alex Mantchev directed a header on frame that was saved by Bugg. However, the rebound off the save came out just far enough for Matthews as he ran toward frame and he poked the ball into the net.
Matthews made it 2-0 in the 18^th minute as he received a pass about 30 yards away from net, dribbled the ball with some swift footwork through three GSU defenders and ripped a left-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box that found the lower corner.

In the 29^th minute, Winthrop looked as if it had enough numbers back as GSU attacked, but Luigi Clendining didn't seem to mind. Clendining received a pass from Hunter Norton in the 18-yard box to the left angle of Winthrop keeper Enrique Miranda. Clendining looked to be covered by a couple of Eagle defenders, but bent a shot around the defender and over the head of Miranda into the far side netting to make it a 2-1 game.
David Cargas Masis tied the game just minutes into the second half as he took advantage of a miscue by the Eagles' defense. Masis won the ball away from a defender and dribbled in a hurry toward the middle of the field and the goal. When Masis got to around 25 yards out he bent a shot around the defender and keeper to the top right corner for the goal.

Winthrop answered immediately as Matthews completed the hat trick in the 53^rd minute as he showed some of his skills with the ball once again, this time dribbling a couple of GSU defenders and then placing a low shot to the far corner for the goal.
In the 78^th minute Georgia Southern struck again to tie the match at 3-3 when Masis scored again on a one-on-one after another Winthrop turnover in the midfield. That didn't discourage the Eagles as junior Marc Segarra, who just checked into the game as a sub, scored 26 seconds later off a cross from junior Tomas Brennan.

The two teams combined for 33 shots (GSU 17-16) and 31 fouls. GSU also had 12 corners to six for Winthrop.
Winthrop will take on Wofford College Saturday evening in the final game of the Big South/Southern Shootout at 7 p.m. Gardner-Webb will take on Georgia Southern at 4:30 p.m.