Playing two games at North Carolina Wesleyan College this past weekend, the Emory men’s soccer team won their Saturday matchup against Methodist University (N.C.) 2-0, but fell 2-1 on Sunday to host Wesleyan.
Coming off a rocky 1-1 start to the season in the Sonny Carter Invitational, the team had a second chance at an invite this past weekend. However, this time around, the Eagles did not have the luxury of home field advantage.
The Eagles got off to a solid start in Saturday’s matchup against Methodist, with junior forward Jason McCartney scoring in the first 20 minutes of the match. Up 1-0 at the break, the Eagles struck again early in the second half when junior forward Christian Meyer scored a header to secure the lead. A strong defensive performance and a shutout from junior goalkeeper Graham Labran-Boyd (three saves) helped ensure the Eagles’ 2-0 victory.
With a chance to leave the weekend with two away wins, the Eagles had plenty to play for in their Sunday matchup against the hosting Wesleyan Battling Bishops.
After a scoreless first half, the Eagles put themselves in a promising position when freshman midfielder Jun Tsuru, assisted by McCartney, scored just six minutes into the second half to give Emory the 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, Labran-Boyd’s opportunity at a second straight shutout was spoiled in the 69th minute when Wesleyan sophomore Olafur Einarsson scored an astonishing 40-yard chip, tying the match at 1-1.
Momentum immediately swung towards the Battling Bishops. The dagger came 10 minutes later when senior forward Caetano Viegas scored what would be the game’s winning goal, completing the comeback and giving Wesleyan the 2-1 victory.
Despite the disappointing turn of events, Head Coach Sonny Travis was pleased with the team’s overall performance.
“I think the team is really progressing, and it showed this weekend,” Travis said. “I think it was the best 70 minutes we’ve played all season, and that is very encouraging moving forward.”
Emory left the weekend 2-2 on the season, with plenty of questions unanswered.
Maybe most importantly, the question of who will start in goal remains unclear, with keepers Labran-Boyd (0.400 save percentage) and freshman Jonathan Whyte (0.833 save percentage) vying for the starting position.
Other concerns stem from the Eagles’ early struggles to close out games. Despite scoring first in each of their games thus far, the Eagles still find themselves at a modest 2-2 record on the season. The ability to put together a complete 90 minutes will be critical to the team’s future success.
“We are a little disappointed with our record given the talent on our team, and we feel like both of our losses were winnable,” said junior captain Cody Gardiner. “At the same time we are taking a lot of positives out of where we are. There’s just a learning curve, especially in these first few weeks.”
Fortunately, the Eagles have the week to rest up before their next match against Berry College (Ga.) Friday, Sept. 16, when they play their third consecutive away game. The Eagles will then have a quick turnaround as they come home for a match against local rival Oglethorpe University (Ga.) Saturday, Sept. 17.
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