In their inaugural “Kick or Treat” game, the Furman Paladins men’s soccer team welcomed the Wofford Terriers to Stone Stadium for their third Southern Conference contest of the 2024 season. With both teams fighting for a high seeding in the league standings heading into the SoCon playoffs, it was clear from the opening kick that neither team was going down easy.
As the first half got underway, it became evident that defense was the strong suit of both teams, and the first team to capitalize on its opponent’s mistake was going to win this game. For example, the first shot on goal did not come until 20 minutes into the game.
The first real scoring threat happened late in the first half when Furman was awarded a corner kick on back-to-back plays. Unfortunately for the Paladins, who have thrived on set-piece plays this season, were unable to find the back of the net on either of their chances.
Entering halftime, neither team had conceded and the score was knotted at 0-0. The Dins did seem to have the momentum, however, and led Wofford 5-1 in overall shots and 2-0 in shots on goal.
The Paladins carried this momentum into the second half and broke the tie with a beautiful run into the box by freshman phenom Wilfer Bustamante, who netted his third goal of the season in the 53rd minute.
The score stayed 1-0 until the 86th minute when a Wofford handball set up a penalty kick for the Dins. Senior forward and captain Christian Kraus took the shot and buried it into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the year.
This second goal cemented the 2-0 victory for Furman. The Dins beat the Terriers in dominant fashion and in every statistical category, leading in total shots 15-3, shots on goal 6-1 and corner kicks taken 6-5.
With this win, the Furman men’s soccer team put themselves at 7-3-2 overall (2-1-0 SoCon), and in second place in the Southern Conference standings. Furman’s next match is against the current top team in the conference, the Eastern Tennessee State Buccaneers. As the Paladins travel to Johnson City, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 26, the chance to take the top seed occupies everyone’s minds. The game can be streamed on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.
