GREENSBORO, N.C. - Earning the eighth seed in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the Guilford College men's soccer team is set to face the top-seeded Hornets of No. 11 University of Lynchburg in a rematch of the 2020 ODAC Championship game, on Saturday night at Shellenberger Field.
After a slow start to the season, the Quakers are peaking at the right time, finishing the season with a 4-7-5 record, including a 3-3-3 ODAC record, and earning their first ODAC Championship berth since 2022. Seeking their first tournament victory since 2020, the Quakers enter the matchup looking to avenge their championship loss to Lynchburg six years ago, when the Hornets handed them a runner-up finish. The Hornets come into the game with a strong 12-1-4 record, including an undefeated 6-0-3 record in ODAC play. Despite not having played head-to-head in the past three seasons, historically, the Quakers hold a 9-23-2 record against Lynchburg, dropping their last match-up 0-2 in 2023.
Guilford's offense has been heavily led by freshman
Sebastian Urgiles (Burlington, N.C.), who has found the back of the net five times for ten points this season, with a .667 shot-on-goal percentage, making him a consistent threat for the Quakers. Urgiles is joined by
Ken Vasquez (Pittsboro, N.C.) and
Rafa Albesa Boix (Castellon De La Plana, Spain) on the offensive front, with two goals a piece and two and one assists, respectively. Midfielder
Cruz Fernandez Madero (Buenos Aires, Argentina) played a crucial role in the offense as well, serving as Guilford's leading distributor with three assists on the season.
The Quakers' backline has been held down by a combination of players throughout the season, but is highlighted by
Jairo Medel Penaloza (Winston-Salem, N.C.),
Kian Flynn (Waxhaw, N.C.),
Rafa Revenga (Caracas, Venezuela), and
Jaykob Garbia (Copenhagen, Denmark). They have contributed to two clean sheets, and will rely on their ability to force turnovers heading into today's match.
Sam Bayer (Lakeville, Minn.) has been GC's most consistent starter in net, starting in all eight games he's appeared in this season. Bayer holds a 2-2-3 record, .667 save percentage, and will look to continue limiting shot opportunities as he has throughout the season.
Projected Starters
Guilford
MID- #28
Talan Coogle (Lexington, N.C.), (794 Min, 2 A, 2 PTS)
MID- #35
Cruz Fernandez Madero (Buenos Aires, Argentina), (646 Min, 3 A, 3 PTS)
DEF- #24
Kian Flynn (Waxhaw, N.C.), (961 Min, 1 G, 2 PTS)
MID- #8
Isaac Garbia (Copenhagen, Denmark), (937 Min, 1 G, 1 A, 3 PTS)
DEF- #11
Jaykob Garbia (Copenhagen, Denmark), (769 Min, 1 G, 1 A, 3 PTS)
MID- #10
Chris Hercules (Greensboro, N.C.), (544 Min, 1 G, 2 PTS)
DEF- #5
Jairo Medel Penaloza (Winston-Salem, N.C.), (813 Min)
DEF- #18
Rafa Revenga (Caracas, Venezuela), (793 Min)
MID- #6
Dani Santos (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), (874 Min, 1 A, 1 PT)
FWD- #9
Sebastian Urgiles (Burlington, N.C.), (880 Min, 5 G, 10 PTS)
Lynchburg
DEF- #4 William Casey (1436 Min, 3 G, 2 A, 8 PTS)
DEF- #23 Ayden Cass (1394 Min)
MID- #30 Noah Coughlin (818 Min, 2 G, 4 A, 8 PTS)
MID- #31 Izaack Cruz (487 Min, 2 G, 1 A, 5 PTS)
FWD- #15 Jefferson Lopez Coreas (920 Min, 10 G, 2 A, 22 PTS)
MID- #10 Saul Lopez Coreas (983 Min, 2 G, 1 A, 5 PTS)
MID- #14 Bruno Rihl Silva (1223 Min, 2 A, 2 PTS)
DEF- #2 Isaac Torres (1259 Min, 1 G, 1 A, 3 PTS)
MID- #8 Matthew Viscuso (1226 Min, 4 G, 1 A, 9 PTS)
MID- #16 Chris Wiley (749 Min, 5 G, 10 PTS)
In Goal
#0
Sam Bayer (Lakeville, Minn.), (675 Min, 12 GA, 1.60 GA/AVG, 24 SV, 0.667 SV%)
VS.
#1
Stefan Kapitanov (526 Min, 2 GA, 0.34 GA/AVG, 11 SV, 0.846 SV%)
With a return to the ODAC Men's Soccer Championship and a chance to make history, the Quakers will look to overcome the top-seeded Hornets and secure their first ODAC tournament victory since 2020. The stage is set for an exciting postseason matchup as Guilford looks to avenge its 2020 championship loss and continue its postseason run. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 PM Saturday evening at Shellenberger Field.
#GoQuakes
