BOONE, N.C. — In its first action of the preseason against another team, Appalachian State University men's soccer held strong in a defensive battle, tying with Wofford 0-0 on Tuesday night at Appalachian Soccer Stadium at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.
“We were glad to get out and play some outside competition,” head coach Jason O'Keefe said. “We played every man on the roster and kept it zero so that's a very positive thing and something we've been working on. A couple of the guys, individually, showed some promise, but we're still looking for some better relationships in the attack, some more leadership in the attack, and I believe if we keep working, those things are going to come through and we'll be able to hopefully turn a tie into a win.”
Despite largely a defensive battle for the three 30-minute periods, the Mountaineers controlled possession nearly the entire way, out-shooting the Terriers 12-8 on the evening. Wofford did hold the advantage in shots on goal (8-6), but App State had a more deep attack, putting pressure on their goalkeeper from multiple angles and personnel. Apps' had their best efforts in the first and third periods, having five and four shots each, respectively.
Leading the way for Appalachian in shots was senior Stephen Chapman with three, two of which were on goal. Right behind the senior, however, was newcomer Andrew Goodman with two shots total and one on goal.
The Mountaineers best chance at a goal came in the 81st minute when Graham Smalley redirected a rebound with his head that just missed rolling into the goal before Hunter Wages dove in to save it.
Defending the net for the Mountaineers were sophomore Jake Chasteen, freshman Jake Agnew and redshirt junior Mitch Kilmer. Chasteen logged the most amount of minutes, giving 45:49 and having three saves in the process. Agnew was in the net for 23:34, which was long enough to record two saves as Kilmer came in to finish the game, playing the final 20:37 and getting one save on the day.
A Whole Roster Deep
One of the shining points for Appalachian State on the evening was the ability to play 23 student-athletes and not drop the intensity on either side of the ball. While the outcome was a tie, the Mountaineers threw a lot of different looks into the match and the defense continued to stop the Terriers' advance.
Looking Forward
The Mountaineers will go on to face High Point on the road for the second and final exhibition. Appalachian will square off with the Panthers at 7 p.m.
