UNCP used a 14th minute goal by Rondell Honora to get the better end of a very defensive first half, but Carlos Cipriano broke the game wide open with a pair of second half goals to give the visiting Braves a 3-0 win over Belmont Abbey Thursday evening at Alumni Field.
It was the team-leading third and fourth goals of the season for Cipriano and the third for Honora. Miguel Ferrer, Michael Davis and Brendan Cook each tallied assists for the visitors, with reigning Peach Belt Conference goalkeeper of the week Horatio Bynes tallying four saves in collecting his second consecutive clean sheet.
“It wasn’t particularly pretty, but it was a good defensive effort,” said head coach Mike Schaeffer. The guys worked hard and we took advantages of the chances that we got. To get that result when you don’t play particular well is a very good thing.”
Cook’s free kick at the 13:01 mark was crossed into the box by Ferrer to the head of Honora who finished with a laser beam past Belmont Abbey goalkeeper Bryan Alenky. Despite a 3-2 shot and 7-1 corner kick disadvantage, the Braves would take the 1-0 lead into intermission.
Cipriano scored the first of his two goals in the 58th minute on a free kick from 30 yrds away, then provided an insurance score nearly 22 minutes later on an assisting pass from Davis.
UNCP will continue a 3-game road trip on Saturday when the Braves head to Salisbury to battle Catawba (2-4-0) in a 5 p.m. matchup at Frock Field. The Black and Gold will close out their swing away from Pembroke on Wednesday at St. Andrews, before opening up Peach Belt Conference play on October 1 against Francis Marion at home.