Greenville, S.C. – Axel Sigurdarson broke a 1-1 tie with a low strike in the 79^th minute to give the ninth-ranked Charlotte 49ers a 2-1 victory over Furman in non-conference men's soccer action Tuesday evening on Seagraves Field at Stone Stadium.
 
The loss dropped the Paladins to 5-5-1 on the season, while Charlotte remaining unbeaten at 7-0-2.
 
"We took a top 10 team down to the wire tonight," said Paladin head coach Doug Allison. "I'm proud of the way we played, but we just had a few things that didn't go our way. Some of the young guys really stepped and the atmosphere provided by our fans was fantastic."
 
Charlotte controlled much of the play early and took a 1-0 lead at the 31:16 mark when Max Fisher slid to corral a ball in the box but was whistled for a foul. Teddy Chaouche converted from the penalty spot to open the scoring.
 
Furman looked like it would have a chance to pull even in the open minute of the second half when Emery May touched the ball past his marker on the left side of the box and was tripped by the defender's out-stretched leg, but the referee waved play on. The Paladins finally found the equalizer in the 73^rd minute when Jacob Garzon fired a shot from the right side of the box that was deflected by Charlotte goalkeeper Elliot Panicco into the path of Alfredo Diaz-Santillan. The freshman calmly finished his chance into an empty net for his second goal of the season.
 
Charlotte regained the lead with the eventual game-winning score at the 78:11 mark as Sigurdarson weaved through two defenders at the top of the box and beat Paladins keeper Max Fisher with a low strike.
 
In the final minutes, Furman created several dangerous chances, including an opportunity in the final seconds when Conor Sloan fed May in the middle of the box for a shot. Panicco recorded the save and the 49ers were able to run out the clock.
 
Panicco stopped three shots to earn the victory in net, while Fisher registered four saves for the Paladins. Charlotte outshot the Paladins 15-10 and held a 6-4 edge in shots on goal.
 
Furman will be idle until Tuesday, October 8, when it hosts North Greenville. The Paladins will open Southern Conference play at Stone Stadium versus ETSU on Saturday, October 12, with the annual Quinn Game.