ELON, N.C. – The
Elon men’s soccer team looks to secure a spot in the upcoming Southern
Conference Tournament this weekend when it hosts local league rival UNC
Greensboro on Saturday, November 7 at Rudd Field at 7 p.m. Phoenix fans should
plan to arrive early to enjoy a slice of pizza and a cup of hot chocolate and
pick up some thunderstix to cheer on the home team.
SoCon teams are vying for one of the top four positions in
the league standings as only four teams earn a spot in the annual postseason
tournament this year. Wofford has already locked up the regular-season
championship and top seed in the tournament, but Elon, College of Charleston,
UNC Greensboro and Furman are all in the hunt for the final three spots. A
Phoenix victory over the Spartans would clinch one of those three remaining
seeds and keep Elon in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Elon (8-7-2, 3-2-0) and UNCG (6-8-3, 3-2-1) have met 16
times on the soccer field with the Spartans holding a 10-5-1 advantage in the
all-time series. The teams have split the last four meetings with Elon coming
away with a 4-0 victory to clinch the conference title last season. Four
current players scored goals in that contest — Erfan Imeni, Stephen Dilger,
Justin Wyatt and Brad Franks.
The Spartans are no strangers to Elon and its coaching staff
as Phoenix head coach Darren Powell played his four years of collegiate soccer
at UNCG and also spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Spartans.
Assistant coach Joe Crump is a 2003 UNCG graduate who played under Powell as a
three-year starting goalkeeper.
The Phoenix will also honor seven seniors for their
contributions to Elon soccer prior to the kick on Saturday.
-- ELON --