DUDIC SCORES TWICE, MEN'S SOCCER HOLDS OFF SPARTANBURG METHODIST 3-2

SPARTANBURG, SC, (Sept. 19, 2015) – What a difference a few weeks can make.

In a stunning turn of events, the Richard Bland College men's soccer team pulled a 180-degree turnaround, knocking off previously unbeaten Spartanburg Methodist, 3-2, in a pivotal Region X contest on a warm Saturday afternoon in Spartanburg, SC. Holding a comfortable 3-0 lead early in the second half, the Statesmen were hit with a critical red card that allowed the Pioneers to score two goals while Richard Bland played a man down.  

The result was in little doubt until the penalty forced Richard Bland to play shorthanded. A little less than three weeks ago, the Pioneers dealt the Statesmen a 6-2 defeat, making Saturday's victory feel that much better. "We dominated them at the half, leading 2-0, and at the beginning of the second half we scored to make it 3-0," said head coach Eduardo de Souza. "But it was a hot, 89-degree day, our players started to feel it (the heat) and when we got a man down, Spartanburg scored two goals. 

"We had to change our style," de Souza continued, "but I am very proud of how the group held together. It's the greatest win in the history of our program. We've never beaten Spartanburg Methodist before. They have a very good program."

What makes the victory equally impressive was that Spartanburg Methodist hadn't lost yet this season, 5-0, 3-0 entering Saturday's game. Now the Pioneers have a blemish and the conference race just got a lot tighter. Patrick Henry, the only other team to defeat Richard Bland this season, has one Region X loss as well. The Patriots are Richard Bland's next opponent. 

The Statesmen, who have now knocked off two previously undefeated teams in their last three games (Cape Fear being the other), have now won four straight matches and improve to 7-2, 5-2 on the season. Spartanburg Methodist is now 5-1, 3-1. The Statesmen return to action on Sept. 24 at 4:00 p.m., hosting Patrick Henry, a team that handed Richard Bland a 3-0 loss on Aug. 29. Spartanburg Methodist next travels to Georgia Military College for a 7:00 p.m. game on Sept. 22.  

Given the six goals the Pioneers scored against Richard Bland on Aug. 31, and the eight overall goals, it was unlikely that a single tally would decide the outcome. It might have, according to de Souza, if the Statesmen weren't hit with the potentially game-changing penalty. "Our backline really held us together after Spartanburg got its two goals following the red card" de Souza explained. "Otherwise I think we would have won 3-0."

Richard Bland got its first goal off a penalty kick from freshman forward Sukrija Dudic (Srebrenica, Bosnia Hercegovina/Hermitage). Dudic made it look easy -- a powerful boot into the left corner of the Spartanburg Methodist goal and past a sprawling Pioneers goalie. 

The Statesmen went into halftime leading 2-0 after sophomore forward Godfred Baisel (Cape Coast/Ghana) scored his 28th career goal off an assist from freshman center Manuel Coca-Fonseca (Honduras/Turner Ashby). Dudic's second goal of the game seemingly iced the proceedings, earning his eighth goal of the season off a feed from freshman wing Lorenzo Romero (New York, NY/Stonewall Jackson). 

Spartanburg, buoyed by a man advantage, scored its two goals off a penalty kick and a corner kick. 

"The players won the this game," de Souza said. "They came out intense, played hard. Today they really understood the effort it takes to beat a good team like Spartanburg."