ROCK HILL, SC—Senior
Jordi Lluch scored two first half goals to lead Winthrop men's soccer to a season-opening 3-2 victory over Brevard College, Friday evening at Eagle Field.
Lluch is starting at center back for the fourth straight season and his goal in the 15
th minute when he headed home corner kick service from senior
Marco Gatzke. Leading up to the goal the Eagles had created a couple of quality scoring opportunities and then Gatzke placed a perfect ball to the head of Lluch at the near post as he guided it to the top corner at the far post. His second goal came in the 39
th and was nearly exactly the same as
Nil Vinyals served a corner kick Lluch headed it home from nearly the same spot as before but this time split a defender and the goalie at the near post. The goal put the Eagles up 3-1 before the half.
The Eagles have now won six straight season openers as they improve to 1-0 on the year.
Following Lluch's goal in the 15
th minute, the Eagles made it 2-0 a little less than four minutes later when
Jordan Stoddart dribbled into the box at the touch line and his service across the mouth of the goal was redirected into the net by a Brevard defender for an own goal.
The Tornados made the Eagle pay for a mistake defensively as long ball bounced over the head of the Eagle defense and Gabriel Garcia chased the ball down just as Winthrop goalie
Fabian Broich was about to try and scoop up the ball Garcia flicked the ball by Broich and into the open net in the 27
th minute.
Leading 3-1 in the second half the Eagles had some opportunities to extend their lead but were unable to convert.
Broich finished the game with two saves while his counterpart Heath Turner made three saves as he played just the first half for the Tornados.
The Eagles have a quick turnaround as they will host Wofford College on Sunday night at 7 p.m.