The Furman men’s soccer proved the team can hold its own against the pros when the Paladins battled the Greenville Triumph, Greenville’s new professional soccer team March 23.

The game took place at Furman University, where the two teams played a hard-fought game. Despite the professional status of the Greenville Triumph, the Paladins were able to match the Triumph until the very end, and the game finished in a 0-0 tie.

“Having the chance to play against the new local USL team was a fantastic opportunity to see how well we matched up against professional soccer players,” said Furman midfielder Jeffrey Fann. “Even though the game ended in a draw, we were very pleased with our performance.”

The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club was formed in 2018 as a part of the USL League One. The Triumph’s first regular season game was a 1-0 loss on March 29 and the team’s home opener is April 6 at Legacy Early College.

“We enter every game, regardless of who we are playing, with the same attitude in mind: to play our hearts out for each other, to represent the badge on our jerseys and to come out of the battle victorious,” Fann said about the the game against the Triumph.

The Paladins finished the fall season with a record of 13-7-2 and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing 2-0 to Virginia. That postseason run was the Paladins’ third in the past five seasons, and the team’s eleventh total appearance. The Paladins look to carry the momentum from this game into the upcoming fall season with the goal of reaching the NCAA tournament for the twelth time.