GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- J-P Vital scored both goals for Tusculum University as the Pioneers defeated Concord University 2-1 in non-conference men's soccer Wednesday night at Pioneer Field.
Playing on Senior Night, Vital scored in the third and 64th minutes for the Pioneers (8-4-3), who were able to maintain the lead by clearing two shots from the Mountain Lions (7-3-6) off the line in the second half.
Elvis Gomez scored the tying goal for Concord just under six minutes before Vital completed the brace with a golazo. Concord finished with a 12-11 edge in shots over Tusculum, but saw its eight-match unbeaten streak (5-0-3) end with its first loss since Sept. 23 against Frostburg State.
The Pioneers scored on the first goal of the match at 2:23 as a long cross from the left side by Linus Salomonsen was headed in by Vital at the top of the six for his fifth goal of the season.
Tusculum would bid for a second goal in the 25th minute as Juan Villasenor, one of four seniors honored before the game, headed a shot just wide of the far post.
Concord had little pressure at the Tusculum goal until the 35th minute, when a low, long shot from Andre Nicholson was stopped by Pioneer keeper Sondre Liahagen Kolnes. Just under 90 seconds later, Kolnes would make his second save as he tipped a free kick from Fabian Amhof over the crossbar.
In the second half, the Mountain Lions' Andre Sardinha headed a corner kick toward the far post in the 50th minute, but the Pioneers' Asbjorn Saevik was in position to head the ball off the line.
Concord got the equalizer at 57:20 as a long cross from Alessandro Raffl went to the far side of the Tusculum goal, where Gomez headed in his third goal of the season past a diving Kolnes.
Vital would restore Tusculum's lead at 63:10 as he took a throw-in on the left side, moved around two defenders to find space and let loose a rocket from 30 yards that went past a diving Concord keeper Keegan Grant and inside the far post.
Concord looked for the tying goal for the second time in the match and had an opportunity again off a corner kick, but the header from Kai Forsyth was headed clear by the Pioneers' Isak Tallwin in the 77th minute.
Forsyth would have four shot attempts in the final 15 minutes, including another header off a cross in the 83rd minute that was collected on a bounce by Kolnes.
Tusculum's last shot attempt would come in the 84th minute, when a free kick came to Gaaj Laurin, and his shot from an angle was stopped by a sprawling Grant and covered just ahead of the Pioneers' David Evans.
Concord would have one final chance as time expired, but a desperation shot from 30 yards by Nicholson went well high and wide of the target.
Kolnes had three saves in goal for the Pioneers to earn his second victory in three starts, while Grant had two saves for the Mountain Lions. Concord was called for 16 fouls to seven for Tusculum, with the Mountain Lions having a 4-1 margin in corner kicks.
Tusculum will finish the regular season on the road, traveling to Carson-Newman for a key South Atlantic Conference match on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. The Eagles (4-5-5, 2-4-3 SAC) lost 1-0 to Anderson on Wednesday in the completion of a match suspended on Sept. 9 due to lightning.
