ROCK HILL, S.C. (Oct. 13, 2026) - The Buccaneers vanquished a lingering bad vibe on Tuesday night in Rock Hill.
A goal off a corner kick from
Micah Kwende proved the difference for the ETSU men's soccer team in a 1-0 victory over the Winthrop Eagles. The Buccaneers (7-6-2) have now beaten the Eagles (5-7-1) in two of the last three meetings, are unbeaten in the last three, and Tuesday's win was their first ever at Eagle Field after conceding seven goals in two previous contests at the venue.
The moment that got the Bucs over the top came in the 63rd minute, and Kwende's effort was almost unnecessary.
Jacob Hines threaded a note-perfect pass to
Jaime Carrillo from midfield as the veteran forward blitzed between the center backs to get one-on-one with Winthrop goalkeeper Euan Brindley, with Brindley getting a piece of Carrillo's shot with his right hand to force a corner kick.
Matias Delellis whipped the ensuing corner into a chaotic six-yard box, where Brindley deflected the ball off Eagles forward Shion Hayashi. Hayashi's failed clearance fell toward Kwende, who pivoted on his left knee and swept his left leg behind the ball into the side netting for his first collegiate goal.
The two teams each fired 14 shots, with the Bucs holding a 4-3 edge in shots on goal. Carrillo led the Bucs with five shots and two shots on goal, and
Sam McGee, in his second collegiate start, stopped all three shots to earn his first career shutout.
The seventh win of the season is win number 270 for third-year head coach
Allen Vital and matches the Bucs' win total in Vital's first two seasons in charge. ETSU stays on the road for a trip to winless Mercer on Saturday at 6 p.m.
For more information on ETSU men's soccer, go to ETSUBucs.com.
