CLINTON, S.C. - Three second-half goals for the Presbyterian College men's soccer team helped lift the Blue Hose to a victory over VMI in PC's Big South Conference opener at home on Saturday, 3-1.
PC improves to 1-8-0 on the year and 1-0 in Big South play. VMI falls to 1-8-1 and 1-1 in conference action.
Jonny Mercado (Lilburn, Ga.), Ignacio Monchetti (Montevideo, Uruguay) and Matthew Palma (Greenville, S.C.) provided the scoring for PC. Each player scored his first goal of the year in the match. In the case of Palma and Monchetti, their goals marked career firsts.
Josh Carter (Anchorage, Alaska.) picked up his first collegiate point by assisting Palma's goal in the 61st minute.
Goalkeeper Ethan Watson (Taylorsville, Ga.) started in goal and presided over a scoreless first half before Tanner Osborne (Lexington, S.C.) replaced him at halftime. Osborne made two saves in the final stanza.
PC set several season-highs in the dominating victory. The Blue Hose outshot VMI 28 shots overall to 12 and put 14 shots on goal to the Keydets' three. Eleven PC corner kicks also set a new 2011 high.
The Blue Hose tested VMI early and often, registering the first of five first-half shots in the 10th minute off of the foot of Byron Quinatoa (Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Ecuador). Quinatoa led PC with three shots on goal and provided one of the best chances of the first half, a hard shot off of a Thomas Palma (Greenville, S.C.) pass that dipped low but caught the top of the net out of bounds.
VMI tallied five shots in the opening frame but none on goal as the teams entered the halftime break tied, 0-0.
PC roared out of the gate in the second half, scoring 4:17 after the opening kick-off. Carter sprinted downfield into the goal box and drew a hard foul to set up a PC penalty kick for Mercado. The junior buried a shot into the left side of the goal to put PC on the scoreboard, 1-0.
Carter nearly scored on a shot 23 seconds later but the game's next goal would belong to Monchetti in the 56th minute. Monchetti dribbled into the left side of the box and, instead of crossing, tucked a low shot into the left side under VMI keeper Taylor Feuerstein for his first collegiate goal. The score extended PC's lead to 2-0.
The Blue Hose weren't finished there, adding a final goal in the 61st minute. Carter took a PC corner kick and lofted his cross to the far edge of the box, where Matthew Palma headed the chance into the right side to make it 3-0. The goal marked the sophomore's first career score.
Osborne made a save in the 67th minute to keep the shutout going but VMI struck on a set piece shortly before the final whistle. In the 86th minute, a Matt Seinfeld free kick deep in the PC end found Brandon Gary in front of the net. Gary headed the ball in from point-blank range to give VMI its first goal of the game, 3-1. The score would hold up as the final result as PC earned its first win of the year.
The Blue Hose return to action on Wednesday when the squad hosts Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m.
