Averett men’s soccer achieves milestone in victory

DANVILLE — Sophomore Samuli Markkanen scored two goals in less than a minute to lift Averett past Ferrum College 3-1 on Wednesday at the Cougar Den. The victory assures Averett (8-5-1, 3-1 USA South) of hosting a first round game in the USA South Conference Tournament for the first time in the program’s history.

With the score tied 1-1, Markkanen got a long pass from freshman Levi Earl and booted it past Ferrum goalkeeper James Flynn to put the Cougars ahead in the 53rd minute.

The duo hooked up again less than a minute later as another long Earl pass found a streaking Markkanen down the center of the field. Markkanen powered that shot in to give Averett a 3-1 advantage. The goals were Markkanen’s fourth and fifth of the season.

From there, the Cougars’ defense limited Ferrum (2-10-1, 0-3 USA South) from making any run late.

Averett took a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute on freshman Timi Heikkonen’s third goal of the season. Freshman Tuukka Myyra’s pass from the right side found Heikkonen, who punched it in from in front of the goal.

That early lead held for less than 10 minutes, however. Ferrum knotted the score on an unassisted goal by John LaPointe-Ridley.

Although the score remained close until Markkanen’s back-to-back goals, Averett dominated play. The Cougars outshot Ferrum 24-9.

Averett is enjoying its best season since winning 11 games in 1998, and the Cougars’ three conference wins are the program’s best output since going 3-3 in the conference in 2000.

The Cougars return to action in a non-conference matchup at Randolph College in Lynchburg on Saturday at 7 p.m.