GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College men's soccer team equaled a program record by winning its 10th consecutive match to start a season, defeating Trevecca Nazarene University 2-0 in non-conference action Tuesday night at Pioneer Field.
Georgios Charkoutsakis and Andreas Kvam scored for the 10th-ranked Pioneers (10-0-0), who matched the 1992 team for the most wins in a row to start a season in school history. The Pioneers have outscored their opponents 24-9 during their 10-game winning streak, including shutouts in five of their last seven contests. The program record for longest unbeaten streak to start a season was set by the 1979 squad, which opened the year with 15 wins and two ties.
Charkoutsakis scored in the 30th minute to give Tusculum a 1-0 lead in the first half, and Kvam scored in the first minute of the second half as the Pioneers finished with a 17-4 edge in shots and a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks over the Trojans (4-6-1).
Tusculum controlled the play for most of the match against Trevecca Nazarene, opening the contest with four shots on goal in the first 20 minutes. The Pioneers were awarded a corner in the 30th minute, and Tyler Linkous' crossing pass came to Charkoutsakis who put home his second goal of the year at 29:23 for a 1-0 Tusculum lead.
The Pioneers maintained the 1-0 lead into halftime, allowing their first shot on goal with less than 10 seconds remaining in the half. The Pioneers had an 11-1 advantage in shots in the first half, with the Trojans' Jonas Loock making six of his eight saves in the opening half.
Tusculum needed little time to double its lead, as a loose ball came to Kvam at the top of the box and he rifled home his fifth goal of the season to the far side of Loock for a 2-0 Pioneer lead at 45:55.
Pioneer keeper Jorge Alvarez recorded two of his three saves in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but was not seriously tested as he posted his fifth shutout of the season and the 15th of his career, moving him into a tie for second place on the Tusculum career shutout list with Tony Swaminathan (1999-2002). Lance Moore (2007-09) has the career record for shutouts with 21.
Tusculum returns to its South Atlantic Conference schedule on Saturday when the Pioneers head to Hartsville, South Carolina to face Coker. Match time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
