Campbell scores three as UNCG rolls past Lees-McRae in exhibition

GREENSBORO, N.C. - In his first appearance in a Spartan uniform in nearly two years, Thomas Campbell scored three times to lead UNC Greensboro to a 5-3 win over Division II power Lees-McRae in exhibition men's soccer action at UNCG Soccer Stadium on Saturday night.

Playing before a crowd of 1,414, the Spartans jumped out to a 3-1 lead behind Campbell's hat trick in the first 36 minutes of the contest. UNCG coach Michael Parker used his first team for the first half and then played the remainder of his roster in the second half.

Campbell, a fifth-year senior from Middletown, N.J., missed all of last season after tearing knee ligaments in the spring of 2008. But he looked pretty sharp on Saturday night, scoring just 11:29 in the game off the right post after a feed from Cruz Oronos.

He scored again at 17:11 when a ball deflected back to him and he popped it off the same right post for a 2-0 lead.

Lees McRae got one back with an own goal at 35:09. David Palmer's shot was headed for the goal slowly. A UNCG defender caught up to it, but kicked the ball into the goal when he attempted to clear it.

The Spartans made it 3-1 when Campbell slipped behind the defense and scored at 35:58 with a shot that tucked just under the cross bar. The Bobcats' Jacob Wilson countered at 43:41 off of a feed from Richard Guffens to make it 3-2 at the intermission.

Matt Foxx scored for UNCG just 6:25 into the second half, knocking home a rebound after Joe Layton's shot was blocked by a Bobcat defender.

Palmer scored at 54:48 to make it a one-goal game once again, weaving through several UNCG defenders before hitting a blast into the right side of the net from 10 yards out. But Foxx found Sven Picton with a thru ball at 62:49 to close out the scoring and give UNCG a 5-3 win.

UNCG outshot Lees-McRae, 14-5, although some of that margin came in the closing 15 minutes of play. UNCG had a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The Spartans continue preseason play when they visit NC State on Tuesday at 7 pm.

AGATE

Lees-McRae..........  2  1 -  3

UNCG................  3  2 -  5

 SCORING SUMMARY:

  1.  UNCG Thomas Campbell (Cruz Oronos), 11:29

  2.  UNCG Thomas Campbell (unassisted), 17:11

  3.  LMC OWN GOAL (unassisted), 35:09

  4.  UNCG Thomas Campbell (unassisted), 35:58

  5.  LMC Jacob Wilson (Richard Guffens), 43:41

  6.  UNCG Matt Foxx (Joe Layton), 51:25

  7.  LMC David Palmer (unassisted), 54:48

  8.  UNCG Sven Picton (Matt Foxx), 62:49

Shots: Lees-McRae 5, UNCG 14. Saves: Lees-McRae 5 (Sean Paradise 1; Dylan Lawrence 1; Ronnie Hreha 3), UNCG 1 (Peyton Ford 1) Corner kicks: Lees-McRae 1, UNCG 7. Fouls: Lees-McRae 7, UNCG 9

- UNCG -