This season has been one of major success for the Furman men’s soccer team. Beyond winning their 15th Southern Conference title and clinching a berth in the NCAA Division I Soccer tournament, several Paladins were awarded postseason honors for their in-season contributions. These awards included SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year, All-SoCon First Team, All-SoCon Second Team, and All-SoCon Freshman Team. Additionally, several Paladins were selected for the All-Southern Conference tournament team. The award recipients are as follows:
SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year: GK Aaron Salinas (So)
All-SoCon First Team: Salinas, F Christian Kraus (Sr), MF Ivan Agyaakwah (Sr), and D Slade Starnes (Jr)
All-SoCon Second Team: F Wilfer Bustamante (Fr), MF Lloyd Wamu Snell (Jr), MF Luke Hutzell (Fr)
All-SoCon Freshman Team: Bustamante, Hutzell, and Ryan Wagner
Furman’s remarkable season continued with a thrilling victory in the opening round of the NCAA soccer tournament, keeping the purple and white’s championship dreams alive. On Thursday, Nov. 21, the Paladins traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on the UNC Tar Heels in a high-stakes matchup as the underdogs.
The Dins, although eager to play in the tournament for the first time since 2018, were not content to merely make it, but wanted to advance as far as possible. This goal was evident from the opening whistle when they came out aggressive, looking for an early goal. Despite Furman’s domination in the first 15 minutes, no goal was found by Furman’s long-ranged shots. Having faced an early wave of shock, UNC then equalized time of possession later in the first half. Neither team scored heading into halftime, with the score at 0-0.
The scoring drought extended into the second half. Furman was more productive on the offensive end this half; however, stellar play by both defenses kept the game tied at the end of regulation. Furman sophomore goalkeeper Aaron Salinas and UNC keeper Andrew Cordes racked up four saves each. Furman trailed in total shots 10-9, but tied UNC in corner kicks with three apiece.
In a similar fashion to the UNCG game from the SoCon Tournament semifinal, the game went into overtime, consisting of two 10-minute periods. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the defensive prowess on the pitch, neither team could put the ball in the net. Consequently, a penalty shootout would decide who advanced to the tournament’s second round.
As the road team, Furman kicked first in the shootout and scored to make it 1-0 Dins.
The Tar Heels went next, scoring 1-1.
Dins followed, goal, 2-1.
UNC answered, 2-2.
Furman reclaimed the lead, 3-2.
UNC tied it back up, 3-3.
Furman for the lead again, goal, 4-3.
UNC to tie the game back at four, misses high above the crossbar, score stays 4-3.
Furman’s sophomore midfielder Diego Hernandez stepped up to win the game for the Paladins and advance them to the second round, successfully scoring. Furman won 5-3 in penalty kicks.
With the win, the Paladins advance to the second round of the NCAA men’s soccer tournament, where they will face the 13th-seeded Marshall Thundering Herd. The winner of the game will advance to the third round of the tournament, known as the coveted “Sweet Sixteen.” The game will take place on Sunday, Nov. 24 in Huntington, W.V. at 2 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
