BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College men's soccer team (6-2) advanced to the USA South West Division Championship Game with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Piedmont (6-6) in the first round of the divisional tournament on Saturday afternoon at Ives-Lemel Family Field. The win came in the first-ever USA South Conference postseason match and BC men's soccer's first home playoff game in NCAA-era history. Saturday's victory marked BC men's soccer's first playoff win since 2016.
Second-seeded Brevard will now play top seed Covenant on Saturday, April 10 in Lookout Mountain, Georgia for the USA South Conference West Division Championship.
Freshman Igor da Silva scored the game-winner for the Tornados in the 56th minute to seal the victory, while freshman Facundo Sunhary found the back of the net in the 20th minute as an equalizer as the two players combined to outscore the Lions in the come-from-behind victory. The two first-year BC student-athlete's goals marked the first of their Tornado careers.
Piedmont opened the scoring with a goal in the 12th minute to take a 1-0 lead. After several chances on the offensive end, the Tornados were able to find the equalizer just eight minutes later.
Sunhary's equalizer came following a long throw-in by Sam O'Callaghan that was then flicked off a Piedmont defender into the goal-mouth area. Sunhary, hailing from Montevideo, Uruguay, promptly used his right foot to hit a full volley into the bottom left corner and past PC goalkeeper Cameron Verona to tie the game 1-1.
Following 36 minutes of scoreless action, da Silva, a native of Americana, Brazil, arrived with the second-half game-winner. Playing center back, da Silva found a loose ball 40 yards out and played it high and long toward the Piedmont goal. The placement ended up above the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Verona to ultimately find the back of the net. The goal set off a wild celebration throughout Ives-Lemel Family Field that was continued through the end of regulation of the win for the Tornados.
Goalkeeper Pedro Campos (3 saves) and the Brevard starting defense of da Silva, Inigo Satrustegui, O'Callaghan, and Miles Schaffer shut out the Lions for the final 78 minutes of the match. The defensive effort was especially stout for the final 34 minutes as the Tornados maintained the 2-1 lead en route to the postseason victory.
Brevard outshot Piedmont 15-7 in the match, including an impressive 11-3 advantage in shots in the second half. BC also registered 11 corner kicks to just seven by the Lions, as the Tornados kept the ball in its attacking half of the field at a higher rate.
The Brevard College men's soccer team, under the direction of Head Coach Helio "L" D'Anna, Associate Head Coach Juan Mascaro Jr, and Volunteer Assistant Coach Kevin Martin, will now turn its attention to the divisional championship game vs. no. 1 seed Covenant, who defeated fourth-seeded Huntingdon, 4-0, to advance to the finals.
Read more about the USA South Conference Men's Soccer Divisional Tournament HERE.
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-BC-