BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat men's soccer team closed out Homecoming & Family Weekend on Saturday with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) showdown versus the University of Pikeville Bears. Putting on a show in front of a large crowd, the Cavaliers scored a season-high five goals en route to a 5-1 win that improved their record to 3-4-1 (2-1-1 AAC).
Pikeville (1-7-0, 0-3-0 AAC) picked up a red card in the 37
th minute, and the hosts made sure to capitalize on playing with an extra man. Montreat already controlled play during the first half prior to a man being sent off, but it certainly didn't hurt the Cavs' ability to score goals.
Miodrag Bankovic slotted home his first goal of the season with 4:21 left in the opening half. Along with the 1-0 halftime lead, Montreat also owned the upper hand in shots (14-5) and corner kicks (4-0) at the break.
Frankie Zavala made a pair of saves through 45 minutes of play to keep the visitors off the scoresheet.
A native of Valjevo, Serbia, Bankovic played a role in the Cavaliers' second tally as well. Bankovic assisted
Alejandro Hernandez's initial goal of 2024 that doubled the lead merely 6:08 into the second half.
Hernandez, Bankovic and
Ethan Grasso all scored within 5:17 of each other to put the game firmly out of reach. Leading 5-0 with 22:24 left in regulation, the Cavs coasted to the finish line. UPIKE notched a late goal to pull within four, but Montreat ultimately secured all three points with its 5-1 triumph.
"Tonight's performance was a good one," said head coach
Michael Bruce. "The guys played hard and really started to show some of their quality. It was disappointing not to get the shutout, but overall, it was a very positive performance. We look forward to taking this momentum into next week."
While both squads totaled five corner kicks, the Cavaliers maintained massive advantages in shots (26-15) and shots on goal (15-6). Zavala ended the night with five saves and his second win of the season.
Montreat heads to Waleska, Ga. on Wednesday for another AAC matchup, this time against the Reinhardt University Eagles. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
