GREENSBORO, N.C - Gabe Douglass (Raleigh, N.C.) made a broken play in the box work, finding the back of the net with about three minutes to play, cutting the deficit and opening a chaotic final moments, but in the end the Guilford College men's soccer team fell-short in a well-contested match at the  Armfield Athletic Center on Wednesday night. 
 
The Quakers were unsuccessful in tonight's match up, moving to 2-2-0 on the season. The Bruins, who are nationally ranked in the Junior College ranks, improved to 5-0-0
 
Chris Kelley (Lexington, N.C.) got the nod in goal for Guilford securing a career-high 12 saves among the 24 shots he faced falling to 2-2-0 in net. Joshua Wilson improved to 5-0-0 for Carolina, making two saves among the six Quaker shot attempts.
 
Riley Copeland (West End, N.C.) and Gabe Douglass (Raleigh, N.C.) were the goal scorers of the match, with Copeland issuing an assist on the final goal of the game. Lewis Jacklin, Zaid Santo, and
 
The match started off with an immediate burst of energy, as both teams sought to make their mark. A promising attack right off the kickoff saw a great build-up with Seth Meade (Maryville, Tenn.) executing a run down the wing and attempting a switch on the field, but could not take advantage of the opportunity.
 
Kelley quickly made his presence known, making two crucial interventions early on. Kelley confidently dealt with two attempted crosses and disrupted Carolina's build-up plays, keeping the game scoreless.
 
Guilford attempted to hold back on the Bruins' early pressure, but mistakes were made, with the Quakers losing position right outside the box, leading to a Carolina counter-attack and goal.
 
After a pair of shared possessions and throw-ins, Carolina managed to break the deadlock with a well-executed tiki-taka build-up in the last third. Kelley came up with a crucial save with his legs against a one-on-one situation at the left post. Although the rebound was initially headed back towards goal, Kelley made a straightforward catch to deny the follow-up.
 
After the initial excitement, the game settled into a more steady pace. Carolina applied persistent pressure, but struggled to penetrate deep into Guilford's third as the back four stood strong.
 
The opposing factions continued to swap possessions and fouls as each side attempted to find an opportunity, Lucas Wheeler (Locust, N.C.) came up with a vital interception, dumping it off to Chris Hercules (Greensboro, N.C.), threading the needle with a beautiful pass to Copeland, who made a run into the 18'. Copeland dished a pass to Saaed Saavedra (Mount Airy, N.C.) who was fouled in the box, leading to a Guilford penalty. Cool, calm, and composed, Copeland slotted it into the bottom-left of the goal, leveling the score at one-all.
 
As the half was winding down, Carolina broke through on the right wing, creating an iso opportunity for Kelley, who was again instrumental. The junior made an impressive double save response to the attack, deflecting the first shot across the goal and quickly recovering to block a near-post attempt, forcing a corner.
 
The second half began with a slower tempo, marked by several changes in possession and a yellow card issued to CU, the first of six pieces of paper distributed in the stanza.
 
With 15 minutes left in the competition, the Bruins built up a great play near the inside of the 18'. The Quakers stood strong and attempted to recover the ball. Unfortunately, a miss-timed tackle was issued leading to a Bruins penalty and goal. Shortly after, Carolina added another tally onto the scoreboard from point-blank range.
 
Just as many thought the game was over, the turning point came in the 87th minute when Jake Carter (Madison, N.C.), receiving a precise pass from Kelley, used his speed to outpace his defender on the right wing. Carter orchestrated a world-class cross to Copeland, who stepped over and tipped the pass, distracting the keeper, setting up Douglass for a powerful finish securing Guilford's second goal.

Despite their efforts, Carolina closed the game out, ultimately securing a 3-2 victory, handing the Quakers their second loss of the season.
 
Guilford looks to bounce back as they host The College Of Wooster on Saturday, September 14th. Start time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
#GoQuakes