ANDERSON, S.C. - With two goals from freshman Magnus Larsen and sophomore Andres Lozano's first goal in a Black and Gold uniform, Anderson University men's soccer got back into the win column on Wednesday afternoon when the Trojans defeated Brevard, 3-1, in South Atlantic Conference action at Trojan Stadium.
With the win on Senior Day, AU moves back to .500 on the season with a 7-7 record and jumps a match above .500 in conference play with a 5-4 mark. Brevard falls to 4-10-1 on the year with a 2-7 record in league play.
After scoring seven goals in their first eight matches of the season, the Trojans have scored seven goals in their last three contests, as they have captured victories in two of their last three matches. With his two goals on the afternoon, Larsen becomes the team-leader with six goals on the year, one ahead of teammate Andre Carle.
For the match, the home side out-shot Brevard 19-8, headlined by a 10-2 mark in the opening half. Larsen and Lozano led the well-rounded attack with two shots apiece, while five other Trojans totaled a shot for the first 45 minutes.
Larsen made the most of his only shot on goal in the first half as a Carle pass found him at the top-right corner of the Brevard box. The Broenby, Denmark native fired a shot to BC goalkeeper Heath Turner's right for the first goal of the afternoon, coming into the 27th minute.
With the one-goal advantage, Brevard clawed itself back into the match in the 43rd minute when the teams's leading goal scorer, Sergi Monso, lifted a 25-yard shot over Anderson goalkeeper Bo Haug's head and into the net to get the visitors back into the match. For Monso, the goal was his fifth of the year, as teammate Jesse Omezi earned the assist.
As the match looked to go into halftime knotted up at 1-1, Lozano grabbed the lead back for the Trojans as he headed in a Brad Du Plooy corner kick with just 36 seconds remaining in the period. The goal was Lozano's first of the season as he currently ranks third on the team in shots with 14.
In the 49th minute, Larsen would seal the victory with an insurance goal when he found space in front of the Tornado backline. With the closest defender five yards away from the forward, Larsen sent a 30-yard shot past Turner to give AU a 3-1 lead it would not relinquish.
Brevard managed four shots for the remainder of the match, as Haug made three saves in the final 39 minutes to earn the victory. For the afternoon, Haug four saves facing eight shots. Haug's counterpart, Turner, made five stops in the losing effort.
"Picking up three points was extremely important for us today," Anderson head coach Michael Zion said. "We found a way to come through when the pressure was on and this win keeps us in the hunt for a top-four finish. I am proud of the boys and how they performed today and was happy to see all the seniors get to take part in securing a big win."
For the contest, Larsen, Lozano and Carle led the Trojans with three shots,while Lozano trouble Turner all three times. Leading the team in points on the year, Carle corralled two points for the afternoon, earning the assist on both of Larsen's goals. Graduate student Bernd Muxel followed the trio with two shots, while Hodaka Yonezawa and Ryo Ogawa combined for three shots on goal.
Anderson continues league play on Saturday for Homecoming when it hosts Wingate. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
