UNCP MEN'S SOCCER WINS LAST SECOND THRILLER!

From UNCP Sports Information

Late Goal ends FMU upset bid at UNCP

PEMBROKE, N.C. – UNC Pembroke peppered the Francis Marion University goal 38 times through the first 89 minutes of the game to no avail, but Dominik Rometsch made number 39 count with five seconds remaining as the Braves vaulted back into first place in the Peach Belt Conference standings with a 1-0 win over the Patriots, Wednesday evening (Oct. 11) at the Belk Complex.

Rometsch fired off a team-high 10 shots, including six on goal, and punched in his fourth goal of the season to highlight the offense for the Braves (7-5-1, 4-1-0 PBC), with Florian Eissen and Thomas Schwer both registering assists. Francis Marion ( 3-9-1 , 1-4-1 ) got two shots apiece from three different players, but suffered its sixth consecutive loss.

Goalkeeper Rich Sallin stopped all three shots on goal he faced to record his second clean sheet of the season for UNCP. FMU netminder Jeremy Crooks turned in a career-high 16-save night for the Patriots, with two other saves credited to the FMU roster.

The Braves took five of the game’s first six shots, but a couple dazzling saves by Crooks kept the hosts off the scoreboard. The Braves' Thomas Morrow had a pair of late first-half chances, but the junior’s shots sailed just wide of the far post. FMU got a pair of quality chances as well, both times seeing a ray of light in the UNCP defense, but both times the shots sailed wide.

UNCP had several chances to blow the game wide open in the second stanza, but Crooks, with a little help from the woodwork, kept the Black and Gold wanting. Rometsch’s shots in the 69th and 75th minutes both caught a piece of the woodwork, while his 85th minute breakaway was played perfectly by Crooks who came charging out to challenge. In the 89th minute, UNCP, again felt a taste of bad luck when Schwer’s rebound shot was deflected out of danger by Morrow who was standing near the FMU end line.

Francis Marion plays at Clayton State University, Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Morrow, Ga. The Braves also return to action on Saturday when they play at 21st-ranked Lander University at 3:30 p.m.


Scoring Summary
At Pembroke , N.C. (Belk Complex)

Francis Marion 0 0 - 0
UNCP 0 1 - 1

UNCP 89:55 Dominik Rometsch (assists Florian Eissen ; Thomas Schwer)

Records – Francis Marion: 3-9-1 , 1-4-1 PBC; UNCP – 7-5-1 , 4-1-0 PBC