Free kick, corner kick each lead to goals in 2-0 win 

?JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (September 13, 2023) - The message was simple. Come out strong, score early, control the match.

Check, check, and check for ETSU men's soccer.

The Buccaneers netted two goals off set pieces and enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win over Radford on Wednesday at Summers-Taylor Stadium.

Chris McKenna (Glasgow, Scotland) opened his ETSU account off a free kick in the 19th minute, and David Kovacic (Krsko, Slovenia) scored off a corner kick four minutes later to give the Buccaneers (2-3-1) a much-needed win over the Highlanders (0-4-1). 

The Bucs wasted little time going on the attack. In the fifth minute, Sebastian Reventlow-Mourier (Viborg, Denmark) ripped their first good chance inches wide of the left post. Kovacic began his search early in the 11th minute on a pass from Henrik Guenther (Guetersloh, Germany) off a corner, but Kovacic missed on the half-volley. Kovacic missed over the bar again in the 15th minute as the Bucs continued to challenge Radford's defense. 

The breakthrough came not long after.  

Tarik Pannholzer (Flensburg, Germany) won a free kick from 30 yards late in the 18th minute. Reventlow-Mourier delivered a floating cross to the back post. Nico Kross (Heidenheim, Germany) headed the ball down into the six-yard box where McKenna swept it home with his right foot. 

Kovacic, meanwhile, continued his hunt for goal, missing just over the bar again in the 20th minute. A Guenther sweeping cross was punched away by goalkeeper Alex Eydelman with Israel Garcia-Perez (Asheville, N.C.) making a run for his first look at goal.  

In the 23rd minute, the Bucs won a corner from the efforts of Pannholzer, forcing Eydelman to make a diving save. Gabriel Ramos (Sao Paulo, Brazil) served up a textbook delivery and Kovacic flicked down a header that flummoxed the defense and bounced into the roof of the net for his first goal since October 18, 2019.  

The Bucs outshot the Highlanders 16-9, with four shots on goal for each team. Kovacic led the Buccaneers with four shots and Pannholzer had three. Marc Kouadio (Montreal, Canada) had four saves in his first shutout as a Buccaneer.  

The Bucs travel to Clinton, South Carolina, where Presbyterian awaits on the back end of a week-long layoff for the Blue Hose. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Saturday night.  

For more information on ETSU men's soccer, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's soccer tab.