BOONE, N.C. - Freshman
Juan Hernandez led Appalachian State University men's soccer (2-1) with a pair of goals to help lift the Mountaineers past Central Arkansas, 2-1, on Friday afternoon at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.
Appalachian showcased a balanced effort on both sides of the field, while five of its seven shots were on goal. Hernandez put the Apps on the board when
Reed Hunnicutt found the first-year Mountaineer at 44' to give App a 1-0 edge.
The Mountaineers' defense bent but didn't break, especially with the play of
Jake Chasteen, as the junior stopped five shots on goal in the first half to give App the 1-0 lead going into the break. However, the Bears would finally strike in the second half when UCA's Kasper Anderson gave the Bears a goal to tie up the match.
Hernandez struck again to give Appalachian the 2-1 lead with under seven minutes left in the contest after a helper from
Marc Pfrogner.The goal would eventually lead to the win, giving App its best three-match start since the 2015 season.
"It wasn't our best performance," said O'Keefe after the win. " My hat's go off to UCA as they were a tough opponent. We told our guys a sign of a good team is when you don't play your best and still find a way to to grind out a win. We need to recover and get ready to play a tough LIU team on Sunday."
Notes
- Chasteen's six saves are a personal best
- Five different Mountaineers have scored for the Black and Gold this season, with four of the student-athletes in their first year in a Black and Gold uniform.
- Through the first three matches, 11 of the 16 shots attempted have been on target, giving App a .688 SOG percentage.
- Both of Hernandez' shots on goal were for scores.
