YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. - Despite scoring the match's opening goal, Anderson University men's soccer was unable to cling to its early lead as the Trojans fell to nationally-ranked Young Harris in a nonconference clash Wednesday evening at the YHC Soccer and Lacrosse Field.
The setback increases AU's winless streak to three-straight contests and drops the Trojans to 3-5 on the year. The Mountain Lions, who entered the midweek contest ranked No. 9 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Continental Tire Division II National Poll, improve to an unbeaten 7-0-1 overall mark, as they have now won seven straight matches.
Sophomore forward Aaron Roberson, who ranked second on the team in goals scored a season ago, earned his first goal of the season in the 10th minute of action. After the ball got by the Mountain Lion backline, Roberson found it at his feet and slid a slot into the left corner to hand Anderson an early 1-0 advantage.
After maintaining the lead for the next twenty minutes, Young Harris found the scoreboard in the 31st minute when YHC's Paco Craig corralled his own rebound and placed a slot in the left corner. For Craig, the goal was his fourth of the season.
As the teams went into halftime even at 1-1, Young Harris notched its eventual game-winner in the 59th minute from attacker Khurram Shazad as he received a through ball at the top of the Trojan box from teammate William Schonfeldt and fired a shot past Anderson goalkeeper Bo Haug. The tally was Shazad's fifth goal of the year.
After the match crossed the 80-minute mark, the Mountain Lions scored twice in the next four minutes as the team's leading goal scorer, Ilija Ilic and Shazad put the match out of reach with back-to-back goals in the 81st and 84th minute, respectively. Ilic increased his conference-leading goal tally to seven on the year as he has scored four goals in his last four contests.
The home side outshot Anderson on the evening, 16-5, as junior Andre Carle paced the Trojans with two shots. Roberson, Oliver Wright and Brad Du Plooy all posted a shot apiece, while Wright and Carle forced YHC goalkeeper Jordan Bradshaw to make two saves for the match. Bradshaw's counterpart, Haug, finished the evening with four saves while seeing nine shots on goal.
Anderson returns to its home schedule and South Atlantic Conference play on Saturday when it hosts Tusculum. Kickoff from Trojan Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m.
