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STATESBORO, GA— Adriano Negri scored two goals to lead the Winthrop men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Georgia Southern, Friday evening at the Big South/SoCON Challenge hosted by Georgia Southern.

It is the fourth straight year the Eagles opened the season with a victory and it was their first win at Georgia Southern since a 2-1 victory on Sept. 22, 2002.  

After a scoreless first half, Winthrop scored just 43 seconds into the second half as Adriano Negri netted his first of the season and his second as an Eagle. Max Hasentab dribbled the ball in space down the middle of the field and slipped a pass to Negri about 25 yards out that put him in enough free space straight on from goal as he took a touch and ripped a shot low to the left corner of the goal around the top of the 18-yard box for the goal.

"The second half was obviously much better than the first," said Winthrop head coach Rich Posipanko. "This has always been a tough place to get result and we're happy to get a win. Defensively we were much better than the second half than the first. I felt we made a lot of progress just from the first half to the second."

Patrick Barnes nearly made it 2-0 in favor of Winthrop as he found himself free down the middle and after a couple of touches he let one fly from about 25 yards out that was heading toward the middle part of the right side of the frame but Georgia Southern keeper Neal Bates made a diving save.

Winthrop did get a second goal in the 56^th minute as Max Hasenstab was set up with a one-on-one at an angle heading toward goal and his shot was saved initially by Bates, but the rebound bounced toward the front of goal and Negri pounded the ball into the net just in front of the penalty spot.

Georgia Southern's Reed Norton nearly made it a 2-1 game in the 69^th minute as he received a pass, took a dribble forward and had a crack as the space opened up from about 30 yards at an angle that went just wide and under the arm of a diving Guilherme Avelar.

Another chance was missed in the 72^nd minute by Georgia Southern in the 72^nd minute after Norton missed the frame on a penalty kick that was awarded after a foul called on a corner kick situation. Avelar and the Eagles nearly pulled off the clean sheet, but Georgia Southern's Norton served a ball into the box around the penalty spot that found the head of Ethan LaPan and was redirected into the left side of the goal. Both teams finished with eight shots on goal.

The two teams played a scoreless first half, but Winthrop nearly got on the board in the first three and a half minutes when Magnus Thorsson hit the post on a header. Thorsson and Achille Obougou also tested the Georgia Southern keeper in the first half, but were unable to break through.

Georgia Southern applied some pressure midway through the first half as Reed Gaso's shot was saved by Avelar followed by back-to-back corner kicks but the Eagles were able to hold defensively.

Winthrop will be back in action on Sunday as it takes on Southern Conference foe Wofford College at noon in its final game of the Big South/SoCON Challenge.