JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 4, 2025) - It was a score line that was bound to raise eyebrows around the country, and a perfect distillation of the unpredictable nature of college soccer.

Berkay Duman's spectacular 81st minute free kick goal carried the ETSU men's soccer team past #10 UNCG on Saturday night at Summers-Taylor Stadium. The game-winner was supported by Noel Poole's first career goal in the 59th and a gritty defensive effort to neutralize the explosive Spartan attack. It is ETSU's first home win over a top 10 ranked opponent and second such win ever, joining their upset of #2 North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2016. 

After two early chances for the Spartans (6-2-2, 0-1-0) that led to big saves from Emil Holmberg, the Buccaneers (1-5-3, 1-0-0) gathered themselves defensively and slowed down the game, keeping things level into halftime. The delicate balance was broken moments out of halftime, when a failed clearance bounced just right for Pablo Torre to get a right-footed half-volley behind the ball and launch it past Holmberg for his second goal of the season. 

One has seldom been enough for the Spartans this season, and that held true ten minutes later. 

Gabriel Betancourt threaded a pass to Noel Poole running into the box toward the right goal post. With a defender between him and goalkeeper Seth Wilson, Poole fired the shot low to the back post, and Wilson's view of the shot was obstructed by his own player until it was too late. Poole's goal was the first of his college career, and Betancourt's second assist. 

UNCG then pulled out all the stops, with a boatload of veterans, including SoCon leading scorer Enzo Dovlo, inserted back into the game for the final 25 minutes. Holmberg stopped a header by Torre from 15 yards out and held on, as well as foiling a number of set piece chances by reading the ball well off his line and picking it out of the air. 

In the 81st, Sami Lachekar clipped Duman 35 yards from goal. The freshman from Norway put his left foot through a curling strike that saw Wilson out of position and snuck into the top-right corner of the goal for the first of Duman's career that pushed the Buccaneers over the top to a famous result. 

The Spartans outshot the Bucs 7-4 with six of their shots on goal, forcing Holmberg into five saves. No Buccaneer took multiple shots, and the only shots on goal belonged to Poole and Duman. 

ETSU returns to action on Wednesday against the Winthrop Eagles. Admission is free for the 6:00pm kickoff at Summers-Taylor Stadium. 

For more information on ETSU men's soccer, go to ETSUBucs.com.