Behind an early goal by junior Yannick Pilgrim, the Davidson men’s soccer team led throughout the match on their way to a 2-0 victory over UNC Asheville on the first day of the Davidson adidas Classic Friday night at Alumni Stadium.
“It was great for the team to put it together for another important win, and the shut-out makes is doubly pleasing,” said Davidson head coach Matt Spear, “Mark’s cross to a diving header by Yannick was a thrill to watch. Those two have developed a good connection so far this season.”
After gaining the 1-0 advantage, Davidson (2-0) continued to exploit its ability to maximize their spacing on the field, forcing UNC Asheville (1-2-1) to defend from sideline-to-sideline throughout the half.
In the second half Davidson, in search of an insurance score, put together a flurry of offensive activity with under 25 minutes remaining in the match. At the 22:10 mark Caskey had a breakaway chance that was deflected out of bounds, which he followed seconds later with a rocket shot from outside the box that was caught by the outstretched arms of the UNCA goalkeeper for the save.
Not to be denied, Caskey found pay dirt when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute to give the Wildcats the final 2-0 margin. On the play, Caskey was attempting to drive across the box and was taken down from behind by a Bulldog defender just inside the penalty area to gain the PK and score his team-high second goal of the year.
“It was good to get that second goal,” said Caskey after the match. “We needed to gain back the momentum, and the score helped push us over the edge and solidify our advantage.”
UNC Asheville continued to press for the remainder of the contest, putting together four shots in the final minutes of play, but could not find the back of the net against the stingy Wildcat defense, who recorded their first shut out of the season.
With the win, Davidson improves to 2-0 for the first time since the start of the 2005 season, a year in which the Wildcats won the Southern Conference regular season championship and advanced to the conference tournament final.
Wildcat goalkeeper Chip Sanders recorded his first career shut out and tied a career high with five saves on the night. Pilgrim and Caskey tied for the team-high with three shots taken, and Davidson had six players combine for 13 scoring attempts on the night, eight of which were on goal.
Davidson will look to extend their winning streak this Sunday, Sept. 13 when they take on Coastal Carolina in the finale of the Davidson adidas Classic. Kick off is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.