Carolinian

Issue date: 10/24/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: JOHN READ/THE CAROLINIAN CLUTCH PERFORMER: Thomas Campbell makes a move to get free of a defender. Campbell's most recent goal, the game-winner at Furman, gave UNCG the Southern Conference regular season championship for the third consecutive season.

Longtime UNCG men's soccer coach Michael Parker's expectations of his team vary with the beginning of each year. One goal that hasn't changed over the last several years, however is to win the Southern Conference.

Mission accomplished.

The Spartans (11-6-1, 5-1-1) defeated their archrival Furman 2-1 on the road Friday night, clinching the regular season Southern Conference championship for the third straight season on a night where Parker also earned his 350th career victory. UNCG shared the title with Davidson last year and won it outright in 2004.

UNCG is just the third team to win three consecutive conference titles in the Southern Conference's 41-year history, joining Appalachian State and Furman.

The Spartans will be the top seed heading into the conference tournament, which begins this Saturday. First round games will be at campus sites, with the quarterfinals and finals being held in Charleston. Furman will be the No. 2 seed.

The championship is the fifth in UNC Greensboro's SoCon history. It won titles in both 1997 and '98.

Although the Spartans have made the Sweet 16 each of the past two seasons, Parker emphasizes winning conference games more so than anything.

"I've not officially set any team goals as of yet, but an obvious one every year is to win the conference," said Parker during a pre-season interview. "That's very important to us and it's very realistic."

Sophomore Thomas Campbell sealed UNCG's three-peat when he scored with just over three minutes left in the game. Campbell broke through the Furman defense and drilled a shot that landed sneaked inside the far post from 20 yards out. The forward from Red Bank, NJ has five goals on the year.

UNCG took an early lead at 16:13 when Jokull Elisabetarson fired a shot on goal. The ball hit the post and deflected off the keeper before finally rolling into the net for his second goal of the season. Scott Jones earned the assist after setting up Elisabetarson's score.

Continued...

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