EFFICIENT MEN'S SOCCER UPENDS UNDEFEATED CAPE FEAR, 3-1

WILMINGTON, N.C. (Sept. 5, 2015) –- The Richard Bland men's soccer team served notice that it will be a formidable opponent in Conference X this season, as the Statesmen scored three unanswered goals to defeat previously unbeaten Cape Fear Community College, 3-1, under brilliant sunny skies Saturday afternoon in Wilmington, N.C.

In a duel of playing styles – Cape Fear favoring long ball soccer and Richard Bland opting for possession, ball control – the Statesmen neutralized a Sea Devils team that wanted to play wide-open, but was never totally allowed to find its comfort level. Although Cape Fear led in shots – 10 to 6 – the efficiency quota belonged to Richard Bland, which cashed in on 50 percent of its opportunities, and earned the game-winning goal in the game's 70^th minute. Freshman forward Sukrija Dudic (Srebrenica, Bosnia Hercegovina/Hermitage) took a pinpoint feed from sophomore Jerry Thomas (Chesapeake, VA/Western Branch) and drove down the line. He beat Cape Fear goalie Brett Council on the near post to increase the Richard Bland lead to 2-1.

After losing two straight, Richard Bland has now impressively won two straight Conference X games and improves to 5-2, 3-2. Cape Fear drops to 4-1, 1-1. The Statesmen will have a much-needed week off from competition prior to hosting the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 p.m. Cape Fear next travels to Wake Tech for an 8:30 p.m. contest on Wednesday, September 9.  

"It's a good conference win against a team that took us awhile to adjust to," said head coach Eduardo de Souza. "Cape Fear is a team that likes to play long ball soccer, but we prepared to play against this style and matched up well against them. We were able to control the ball, spread the field and execute."

Cape Fear struck first, getting a penalty kick goal from midfielder Andrew Goodman at the 33 minute mark of the first half. The Statesmen countered with their own penalty kick goal coming from sophomore center Eduardo Quintanilla (San Salvador, El Salvador/Stonewall Jackson) at 24:25 and the teams went into intermission deadlocked 1-1.

It took Richard Bland 25 minutes before Dudic notched his goal for the 2-1 lead and the remaining 20 minutes of the contest belonged to the Statesmen. "After Dudic's goal, we seemed to really find our rhythm," said de Souza. 

The Statesmen iced the game in the closing minutes, getting a far post goal from freshman winger Bryce Dietrich (Farmville, VA/Prince Edward) off a feed from Godfred Baisel (Cape Coast Ghana/Patriot).

The tight-net defending by freshman goalie Ciro Labrada (Guanajuto, Mexico/Stonewall Jackson) was a difference-maker in the contest, according to de Souza. Labrada had five saves in the contest.

"It will be good to have a week to work on both our weaknesses and our strengths," said de Souza. "We have another conference game to play next Sunday, and none of them are easy."