DANVILLE, Va. -  The Guilford College men's soccer team traveled to Frank R. Campbell Stadium on Wednesday Evening, facing Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) foe Averett University, falling to a score of 7-2.
 
The Quakers dropped to 3-11-1 overall and 0-1-1 in ODAC play. Averett, currently 11th in the conference, now sits at 4-5-6 overall and 1-4-3 in league competition.
 
Ildis Vital-Peraza (Vienna, Va.) got the nod in goal for Guilford, securing eight saves among the 15 shots he faced, falling to 1-2 in net. Tyler Yates improves to 4-5-6 for Averett, making two saves among the four Quaker shot attempts.
 
Riley Copeland (West End, N.C.) led the Quakers' attack with one goal and four shots total, with two on target. Gabe Douglass (Raleigh, N.C) added a goal off his only attempt, while Jake Carter (Madiosn, N.C) and Jesse Guzman (Winston-Salem, N.C.) each dished out an assist. Blake Whittle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Guzman registered one shot apiece, with Whittle's effort hitting the target.
 
Max Gaudry secured himself a hat-trick with a 3-goal performance for the Cougars. Oliver Kousholt and Daniel Starr each added a goal and assist while Jaime Vazquez Sanjurjo and Pintos also contributed to the Cougars' goal-scoring efforts. Aidan Barber, Jonthomas Buckely, and Daniel Sierra each dished out an assist for the Cougars.
 
The game started off slowly as both sides battled for possession in the opening five minutes, with little offensive action.
 
In the 9th minute, Averett struck first when Gaudry made a solo run down the left wing, beating Whittle in an iso play. He dribbled into the box for a one-on-one chance with Vital-Peraza, but the sophomore made a crucial save to keep the match leveled at nil-nil.
 
The breakthrough came for Guilford in the 17th minute. The Cougars were awarded a free kick off an offside call on the Quakers. Copeland intercepted the short pass attempt, drove toward the box, and unleashed a low shot to the bottom left corner. Yates got a finger on it but couldn't keep it out, giving Guilford a 1-0 lead.
 
Shortly after Guilford's first goal, the Quakers dominated the midfield, winning the possession game. Copeland received a pass and made a solo run into the box, where he was brought down by a defender, earning them a penalty. The senior stepped up to take it, but Yates made a key save to keep the score at 1-0.
 
Averett built great momentum off the PK save, as they continued to create great build-up play. The pressure paid off, as the Cougars earned a free kick just outside the box. Kousholt stepped up to take the kick and executed a perfectly placed shot into the top bin, leveling the score at 1-1 with a clinical finish.
 
AU continued to press and were nearly rewarded in the 24th minute when Starr fired a shot from the right wing, just outside the box, but Vital-Peraza denied him with a leg save.
 
With just under a minute to go in the half, Guilford earned a free kick just outside Averett's 40-yard line in the 45th minute. Guzman sent a cross into the box, where Carter's header found Douglass, who finished with his right foot to give the Quakers a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
 
Averett responded immediately after the break. AU earned a corner kick in the 46th minute, which Koushalt swung into the box. Gaudry connected with a head to equalize at 2-2 just seconds into the second half.
 
In the 52nd minute, the Cougars took their first lead of the game. Sierra played a perfect through ball to Kousholt, who received it on the left wing. The senior dished a pass near the penalty spot, finding Gaudry who slotted in his second goal of the match. Giving AU their first lead of the game.
 
Averett added a fourth goal in the 54th minute after Vazquez intercepted a misplaced pass in midfield. He made a solo run before firing a low shot past Vital-Peraza from outside the box extending the lead to 4-2.
 
The Cougars continued their offensive onslaught, scoring two more goals within the next eight minutes of action and securing their seventh and final goal in the closing stages of the match to secure a 7-2 victory.

Guilford travels to Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday, October 26, in their final contest of the 2024 season. Kickoff is slated for 4 PM. 
 
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