Pannholzer, Richards find scoresheet for first time in 2023 to erase 2-0 deficit 

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (September 5, 2023) - After a disjointed first 45 minutes, David Lilly laid out the challenge to his ETSU men's soccer team, and they responded with a thrilling second half comeback that featured their most accomplished attackers at the sharp end. 

ETSU played to a 2-2 draw against USC Upstate on Tuesday night at Summers-Taylor Stadium. Tarik Pannholzer (Flensburg, Germany) scored on a strong service from Gabriel Ramos (Sao Paulo, Brazil) in the 64th minute, and Kieran Richards (Hamilton, New Zealand) finally broke through for his first goal of the season with a penalty in the 78th minute to level the Bucs (1-2-1) with the 10-man Spartans (1-2-1). 

Early on, the Buccaneers made mistakes at the back, and they were punished for them in the eighth minute. The Spartans won a free kick, and Anthony Cox found the exact target he needed in Elijah Jackson. Jackson received the ball cleanly and struck true against a leaping Marc Kouadio (Montreal, Canada) into the back post to give the Spartans the early lead.  

Off a heavy touch out of the back, the Spartans struck again.  

Ezra Hoffman streaked onto the ball and broke through all alone, chipping a diving Kouadio who came out to cut off the angle and giving the Spartans their largest lead of the season, a lead which they carried into halftime.  

Chasing the game in the second half, ETSU needed to crank up the pressure, and Ramos brought the energy. He got free for a shot but was stonewalled by Jennings point-blank in the 59th minute and again in the 61st minute, and Pannholzer struck an off-balance shot from 15 yards to the near post for more work for Jennings in the 63rd minute.  

In the 65th minute, Ramos and Pannholzer linked up and clawed back a goal for ETSU. Ramos streaked down the right wing and had the ball in space, delivering a note-perfect low cross right to the center of the box. Pannholzer buried it first-time to get the Bucs on the board.  

Julian Fernandez was sent off in the 70th minute for retaliation in an altercation after a tackle, and the Bucs ramped up the pressure looking for the equalizer.  

In the 76th minute, Pannholzer drew a free kick right on the edge of the 18-yard box that missed multiple heads, but less than 90 seconds later, ETSU won a penalty that Richards buried inside the right post for his long-awaited first goal of the season to bring the Bucs level.   

Yves Tcheuyap (Oakville, Canada) drilled a shot from just inside the box in the 84th minute into the hands of Cooper. Lucas Nordin (Knoxville, Tenn.) broke down two defenders, but an acrobatic leap from Cooper to his back post denied Nordin his first career goal.  

On the hunt for a game-winning tally, Pannholzer had an 86th minute drive punched away by Cooper. Lucas Lightner (Clarksville, Tenn.) flicked on a header that was also stopped by the goalkeeper shortly after. Kouadio stopped Hoffman on a tight angle shot to keep the score level in the 87th minute. Nordin had another chance in the 88th minute but couldn't settle the ball, and the Bucs were forced to settle for the draw. 

ETSU was the aggressor for much of the night, outshooting the Spartans 35-9, including 26-3 in the second half, with 15 shots on goal to six. The 35 shots are the most in a game by the Bucs since March 30, 2021, when they had 37 against VMI. Individually, Pannholzer led the Bucs with eight shots and five on goal. Richards and Nordin had five shots each, while Salkeld had four and Ramos and Tcheuyap each had three. There were 12 bookings total in the match, with nine against the Spartans including the red card on Fernandez in the 70th minute.  

The Bucs are back on the road against UNC Wilmington on Saturday at 1 p.m.  

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