GREENSBORO, N.C. - For the first time since 2010, the Guilford College men's soccer team (3-8-3, 2-2-1 ODAC) earned a 1-0 victory over Randolph College (4-6-2, 1-3-1 ODAC) Wednesday evening at Appenzeller Field, using a first-half goal from Isaac Garbia (Copenhagen, Denmark) to secure the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) win.
Guilford finished with five shots, four on goal, and one corner kick. The Quakers committed 17 fouls while limiting Randolph to six shots and two on target. Defensively, Guilford goalkeeper Sam Bayer (Lakeville, Minn) made two saves to preserve the shutout.
Randolph recorded six shots and five corner kicks, compared to Guilford's five shots and one corner. The WildCats placed two attempts on goal and forced Bayer into a pair of saves, but could not find the equalizer. Randolph goalkeeper Dominic Cortes made three saves in the loss.
Garbia led the Quakers offensively with two shots, including the match-winning goal, while David Mestre (Valencia, Spain) also recorded two shots, both on target. Jaykob Garbia (Copenhagen, Denmark) added a shot on goal, and Bayer finished with two saves to earn the clean sheet. For Randolph, Bryan Leiva-Membreno and Marcus Cortes each recorded two shots, with Cortes placing one on frame. Fernando Quinteros also put a shot on goal, while Dominic Cortes totaled three saves.
Guilford struck first in the 17th minute on a give and go up to the left side of the box between Isaac Garbia and Talan Coogle (Lexington, N.C.), that Garbia took to the endline and slotted past the Randolph goalkeeper, to take the deciding 1-0 lead. The opening half saw high pressure from both teams' offenses, but defenses that kept the opposition off the board otherwise. Guilford continued to create opportunities, with Jaykob Garbia putting a shot on target in the 24th minute, but Randolph kept the deficit to one heading into halftime.
The physicality continued after the break as Randolph searched for an equalizer and Guilford worked to protect its narrow lead. Fouls and contested possessions interrupted the flow of play, making every opportunity important as the match entered its final stages. The WildCats generated five second-half shots, but the Quakers' defense remained composed, limiting Randolph to just one shot on target after halftime.
Bayer came up with a crucial save in the 87th minute to help preserve Guilford's advantage as the pressure mounted late. Despite Randolph's attempts to pull level, the Quakers held firm through the final whistle to secure the 1-0 victory, earning their second ODAC win of the season.
The Quakers are back in action on Saturday, October 17 when they travel to Virginia Beach, Va. to take on Batten University in ODAC play. First kick is set for 4:00 PM.
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