GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Florens van Honk scored the winning goal with 1:45 left to give 20th-ranked Wingate University a 2-1 win over Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference men's soccer action Saturday at Pioneer Field.
Van Honk collected a cross from Pablo Pozos and beat Tusculum keeper Nicolas Leite off the near post and in to boost the Bulldogs (8-3-2, 7-1-1 SAC) to their fifth win in the last six matches. Tusculum had tied the match in the 71st minute on a goal by Artur Marques, then would have two goals disallowed ahead of van Honk's winner.
Wingate outshot Tusculum 12-8 in the match, but needed late heroics from van Honk to come away with the victory over the Pioneers (7-4-3, 3-4-3 SAC), who lost for the first time in five matches (2-0-2).
The Bulldogs had the first two shots on goal in the match, but Leite made saves on Kosi Mafela in the second minute and Tajay Grant in the fourth minute. The Pioneers' first shot on goal came on a header by Devin Vital in the 10th minute off a loose ball in the box, but Wingate keeper Aleksa Janjic had the stop.
Leite came up with a save in the 11th minute on a header by Owen Marshall off a free kick, which would be the last shot on goal until the 38th minute when Dennis Hamzic headed in a corner from Harry Bircumshaw for his first goal of the season at 37:52.
Tusculum nearly tied the game in the final seconds of the first half, but a shot from Marques from 10 yards out was knocked away by Janjic.
In the second half, Leite was equal on a shot from 15 yards by Tajay Grant in the 52nd minute, while Tusculum was off target on tries from Marques in the 58th minute and Mo Bouta in the 60th minute.
Tusculum would tie the match at 1-1 with 19:24 left as a pass from Saevik went to Marques in the middle of the box, and he flicked a header past Janjic for his fifth goal of the season.
Two minutes later, the Pioneers appeared to go ahead 2-1 as Marques redirected a Bouta corner kick with his head at the far post. However, Marques was ruled to have used his arm on the redirection and the match stayed tied with 17:29 to go.
The Pioneers had another goal waved off with 8:40 left as a foul was committed against a Wingate defender which had allowed Carlos Perez an uncontested shot from inside 10 yards.
With the teams heading to a draw, Pozos carried the ball down the right side and crossed to van Honk at 15 yards, and his shot went off the inside of the right post and into the goal with 1:45 to play to give Wingate the lead.
Leite finished with six saves in goal for the Pioneers, while Janjic had two stops for the Bulldogs. Wingate was called for 15 fouls in the match to 12 for Tusculum, with the Bulldogs receiving two yellow cards and one for the Pioneers.
Tusculum will close its home schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 25 when Concord visits for a non-conference match at 7:30 p.m. The Mountain Lions (6-2-5) will face Davis & Elkins on Sunday looking to extend a 5-0-2 unbeaten streak.
