The Elon University men’s soccer team scored early and often, trouncing High Point University 4-1 Saturday Sept. 29 to improve to 7-1-1 on the season.
It was exactly the result the Phoenix were looking for after their very successful four game homestand in which they went 3-1 and beat then-No. 9 Wake Forest University.
The Phoenix first got on the board in the 23rd minute on senior forward Jason Waterman’s fifth goal of the season. Senior midfielder Charles Howard sent a ball into the box toward senior forward Matt Wescoe, whose header from point-blank range deflected off the left post and right to Waterman, who snuck it past the Panthers’ freshman goalkeeper Ryan Massey.
Elon would add to their lead in the 40th minute on Caue Da Silva’s second goal of the year. Miguel Salazar sent a long ball from midfield to Da Silva at the top of the box, who was able to put it past Massey and put the Phoenix up 2-0.
In the 53rd minute, junior defenseman Austin Dunker played a beautiful through-ball from midfield that Waterman was able to get to before Massey. The senior tapped the ball past the goalkeeper and to Wescoe, who kicked the ball into the empty net and increase the Phoenix lead to 3-0.
A few minutes later in the 57th minute, Dunker stripped the ball away from a Panthers player and played it through to senior midfielder Daniel Lovitz, who crossed the ball into Waterman as he was streaking into the Panthers’ box. Waterman jumped and kicked the ball into the net in one fluid motion, giving the Phoenix an insurmountable 4-0 lead.
The Panthers would inch closer in the 88th minute on a well-placed free kick by freshman midfielder Brandon Sloan, his first collegiate goal.
The Phoenix will return to action on October 1st against Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m.