Greenville, S.C. – Sophomore Wesley Siegel netted the lone goal of the match in the second half to lift Furman men's soccer to a 1-0 victory over Lees-McRae in exhibition action Saturday evening on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
 
The first 45 minutes went by without a goal, although Grayson Travis and Luke Munson created dangerous chances for the Paladins. Wilfer Bustamante and Miguel Sosa threatened to provide the breakthrough in the opening moments of the second half before Siegel broke the tie in the 59^th minute. Furman made a run down the right wing and freshman Gianluca collected the ball on the right side of the box before centering a pass to Siegel at the top of the box. The Winter Garden, Fla., native lined a shot into the left-hand side of the net to give the Paladins the 1-0 advantage. 
 
Furman goalkeepers Ivan Horvat, Max Miller, and Andrew Laplaca combined for the shutout and notched three saves on the night.
 
"It's always good to get the win and to get the shutout," said Furman's Doug Allison, the winningest head coach in Southern Conference history. "Siegel took his goal well and we were able to get playing time for a lot of people tonight. Now the real season starts on Thursday."
 
The Paladins posted a 14-3 edge in total shots and managed a 10-3 margin in shots on target over 90 minutes in the preseason finale.
 
Furman is set to kick off its regular season schedule on August 21 versus UC San Diego in Durham, N.C., and will face the San Diego Toreros on August 24 in Durham. The Paladins' home opener is set for August 28 against North Greenville before the Furman soccer family celebrates Clint Dempsey's jersey retirement on August 31 when the Paladins play host to Duke at 6 p.m. 
 
Minuteman Press is the Official Sponsor of Furman Athletics press releases.