Oglethorpe Men's Soccer Clinches Fourth Straight SAA Regular Season Title with 2-0 Win over Rhodes

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ATLANTA, GA (10/17/2018) The Oglethorpe men's soccer team clinched their fourth straight outright Southern Athletic Association (SAA) regular season title Sunday afternoon in a tense 2-0 victory over second-place Rhodes.

With the win, the Stormy Petrels have secured the No. 1 seed in the SAA tournament and the right to host the 4-team championship round of the event if they get through their opening-round game. They also improved to a perfect 6-0 in SAA play and, with a subsequent out-of-conference win on Tuesday over crosstown rival Emory, are now 10-2 overall on the season and have moved their winning streak to nine games.

The Petrels got the match off to an outstanding start, as they got the opening goal from senior midfielder Topher Marshall in the 11th minute. A mis-hit clearance from the visiting Lynx fell to Marshall at the top of the box and he made no mistake with his finish, giving his team a 1-0 advantage.

From there, though, Rhodes was able to stay in the game until the final minutes. They were unable to manage much going forward, but did keep the Oglethorpe attack largely in check and gave themselves a chance to pick up a late equalizer. The home side generated several chances early in the second half. Freshman midfielder Affonso Temporalput a shot just wide of the Rhodes goal in the 55th minute, then junior defender Bentley Skinner and freshman forward Abraham Lopez both saw shots saved by Rhodes goalkeeper Patrick Wilkerson as the half went on.

The Lynx were almost able to tie it up in the 78th minute, as a shot from Nico Lindsay cannoned off the post, but the visitors were unable to collect the rebound and the Petrels cleared.

Oglethorpe finally put the game away in the 87th minute. Junior midfielder Josh Bronstorph had a shot from the top of the box blocked out front by a defender, but the ball caromed into the path of freshman midfielder Angel Guevara. Guevara hammered the ball into the back of the net to secure victory for the Petrels.

In addition to clinching the SAA title, the Petrels also extended their SAA unbeaten streak to an even 20 games, their SAA winning streak to 12 games, and their overall winning streak to eight games.

Oglethorpe outshot the Lynx 10-4 and put five shots on goal to the visitors' one. The Petrels also took two corner kicks to none for Rhodes.

Next, the Petrels head up to northwest Georgia to take on Berry in their final regular season game on Friday, Oct. 19.

About Oglethorpe University

Founded in 1835, Oglethorpe University is Atlanta's only co-educational small private college, home to 1250 eclectic and engaged students from 33 states and 38 countries. Renowned for its groundbreaking Core program, Oglethorpe's academically rigorous programs emphasize intellectual curiosity, individual attention, close collaboration among faculty and students, and active learning in relevant field experiences. Oglethorpe joins theory and practice in its A_LAB (Atlanta Laboratory for Learning), an incubator for experiential learning through internships, study abroad, civic engagement, and undergraduate research. Under the leadership of President Lawrence Schall since 2005, Oglethorpe has entered an unprecedented era of innovation and growth, evidenced by increased enrollment and philanthropic giving, and new strategic entrepreneurial partnerships. Since 2013, Oglethorpe has seen the addition of an award-winning campus center; a residential complex with six state-of-the-art classrooms; and the expansion of arts and athletics facilities. Oglethorpe's partnership venture with LeadAbroad has expanded its global footprint with the development of five global campuses in Barcelona, Cape Town, Greece, London, and Rome. In 2019, Oglethorpe will open the I.W. 'Ike' Cousins Center for Science and Innovation and the Q. William Hammack, Jr. School of Business. Oglethorpe is home to the Conant Performing Arts Center, Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, study abroad partner LeadAbroad, and the Piedmont School of Atlanta. The Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels compete in the NCAA Division III Southern Athletic Association. Website: oglethorpe.edu