Highlanders Upend Winthrop, 4-2

Radford, Va. - Senior Erik Sokolik (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) and freshman Patrick Colas (Rennes, France/Lycee Zola) each had a goal and an assist as Radford upended Winthrop, 4-2 in men's soccer action this evening from Patrick D. Cupp Memorial Stadium. The Highlanders survived a late Winthrop rally to improve to 8-8-1 overall and 2-4 in the Big South. The Eagles drop to 9-6-1, 4-3 in the Conference.

Radford opened the scoring in the 15th minute on a 25 free kick by Sokolik. He bended a low ball around the wall and snuck it just inside the left post for his sixth goal of the season.

The Highs added to the lead in the 34th minute on a corner kick by Colas. Senior Jeff Nicholas (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) headed the service to senior Adrian Snell (Hagerstown, Md./Ferrum College) who volleyed it home from in close for his third goal this year.

Junior Mark Merrill (Tempe, Ariz./Yavapai JC) scored his first goal as a Highlander six minutes into the second half. He headed home junior Sean Johnson's (Gilbert, Ariz./Yavapai JC) cross to the right of Winthrop keeper Andrea Granzotto to make it 3-0.

After a few scoring opportunities by the Highlanders, Winthrop scored a pair of goals 3:44 apart to make it a one-goal game with 18 minutes left. Micah Ursay scored in the 69th minute from about 25 yards out to get the Eagles on the board. He then assisted on the next goal, when his cross into the box was one-timed to the back of the net by Donald MacGregor in the 72nd minute.

Colas quickly gave RU a two-goal cushion when he headed home a cross from Sokolik in the 74th minute. It was his 10th goal of the season, the most by a freshman since Ian Spooner scored 16 in 1991.

Radford outshot Winthrop 19-9 and held a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks. Dan Stevens (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) stopped one shot for Highlanders, while Granzotto made five saves for the Eagles.

The Highlanders will close out their regular season on Sunday, Nov. 9 when they host Birmingham-Southern at 1 p.m. Prior to the match, Radford will honor their senior class.

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