SPARTANBURG, SC— Jordan Walshaw's hat trick helped Winthrop men's soccer survive a wild game at USC Upstate as it scored four goals in the final 11 minutes to earn a 6-4 victory, Saturday night in Big South Conference action.
Winthrop (5-9-2, 3-3-1 Big South) 6, USC Upstate (5-11, 1-6 Big South) 4
Nov. 2, 2019
(County University Soccer Stadium)
Winthrop Starters: Gaunce (GK), Mace, Mola, Rapp, Jackson, Walshaw, Carvajal, Carreras, Orfanidis, Estevez, Smith
USC Upstate Starters: Baeza (GK), Bunting, Abney, Arrocha, Monells, Hynes, Anderson, Wood, Hill, Corvino, Lewis
Goals
4' – WINTHROP – Estevez (Carreras)
14' – WINTHROP – Walshaw (Estevez)
22' – USC UPSTATE – Monells (unassisted)
26' – USC UPSTATE – Hill (Arrocha, Abney)
52' – USC UPSTATE – Bunting (Monells, Chappelear)
67' – USC UPSTATE – Chappelear (unassisted)
79' – WINTHROP – Walshaw (Foster)
83' – WINTHROP – Estevez (penalty kick)
88' – WINTHROP – Walshaw (unassisted)
89' – WINTHROP – Mola (Walshaw)
Game Recap
- Eagles didn't take long to get on the scoreboard as Leif Estevez netted his first goal of the season
- Estevez headed home a cross from Marc Carreras
- Just shy of 10 minutes later the Eagles doubled their lead as this time Estevez set up the goal, assisting Jordan Walshaw's goal on a counter attack
- Walshaw nearly gave the Eagles a three goal lead in the 21st minute as his shot was just wide of the post
- Moments later the Spartans found the back of the net in the 22nd minute to make it a 2-1 lead for Winthrop
- Aidan Hill equalized in the 26th minute as he scored off a pass from Mario Arrocha as Eirik Abney also assisted on the play
- The game was all square at 2-2 after 45 minutes as the shots were even at seven a piece
- In the 52nd minute, Upstate scored its third unanswered goal as Joel Bunting scored for a 3-2 lead
- Michael Chappelear doubled the Spartans lead in the 67th minute with a fourth unanswered goal
- Walshaw made it a one goal game in the 79th minute with his second goal of the night, set up by Jonathan Foster
- Eagles continued to press for the equalizer and the chance came in the 83rd minute when they were awarded a penalty
- Estevez converted the penalty for his second goal of the game
- Winthrop wasn't done as it grabbed a 5-4 lead in the 88th minute when Walshaw completed his hat trick
- Jordi Mola gave the Eagles a two goal cushion in the 89th minute
Notables
- Winthrop earns its first trip to the Big South Conference Tournament since 2015 with the win and a loss by UNC Asheville
- Walshaw's hat trick was the first by a Winthrop player since Max Hasenstab did so against Wofford on Sept. 3, 2017
- It was the first hat trick by an Eagle in conference regular season game since Sep. 23, 2006 when Saidi Isaac netted four goals in an 8-1 win over Liberty
- Carreras recorded a point for the fourth straight contest with four goals and an assist in that stretch
- Estevez scored his first goal of the season and now has two goals and two assists in the last four games
- This was the first game the Eagles have had two different players scored two goals each since the final game of the 2018 season when Estevez and Alfie Rogers each scored two in a 4-1 win over Longwood
- Estevez now has four career goals against USC Upstate
- Eagles scored six goals against a league opponent for the first time since Oct. 12, 2010 when the Eagles beat VMI 6-3 at home
- Winthrop hasn't scored six goals on the road since it scored six at Gardner-Webb on Sept. 13, 2003
Looking Ahead
Winthrop will wrap-up the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 6 when it travels to Boiling Springs, NC to take on Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m.
Follow Us On Social Media
To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop men's soccer program follow the Eagles on Twitter (@Winthropsoccer), Instagram (@winthropsoccer) and Facebook (/WinthropUniversitySoccer).
