PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Young Harris College men's soccer team inched closer to claiming back-to-back Peach Belt Conference titles Saturday (Oct. 25) as the Mountain Lions shut out the University of North Carolina at Pembroke 4-0 at Varsity Grounds.
No. 5 Young Harris, which is the top-ranked team in the Southeast Region, won its 12th straight match to improve to 12-0-1 overall and to 7-0-0 in the PBC. With the win, the Mountain Lions clinch the No. 1 seed in the PBC Tournament in November and claim at least a share of the Peach Belt title. Young Harris will claim the title outright if second place University of South Carolina Aiken ties or loses later tonight in its match at Clayton State University. UNCP fell to 5-6-3 and 3-3-2.
Senior Ilija Ilic recorded his fourth career hat trick in the win and second in as many matches. Ilic, who has scored 16 goals this season, gave the Mountain Lions a 1-0 lead at the 18:33 mark with a quick play in the box off an assist from Paco Craig. An Ilic penalty kick with less than four minutes remaining in the half gave Young Harris a 2-0 halftime lead. Ilic added his final goal nine minutes into the second half as he followed his own miss.
The Mountain Lions got their final goal at the 75:38 mark on a header from Kendall Carballo off a long pass down the right side from teammate André Johansson.
Young Harris, which outshot UNC Pembroke 22-6, got three saves from goalkeeper Jordan Bradshaw, who tallied his fifth clean sheet of the season. UNCP goalkeeper Kenneth Perkinson also stopped three shots for the Braves.
