BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Charlie Reiter scored a hat trick and Davidson spoiled senior night at Campbell University, claiming a 5-2 men's soccer victory Tuesday at the Eakes Athletic Complex.
Playing in his final collegiate game, Reiter scored in the 46th, 62nd and 66th minutes for the Wildcats, who stretched a 2-1 half-time lead to a 5-1 advantage before Justin Smith's strike closed the final gap. Christian Hambleton assisted on all three of Reiter's goals.
Davidson improved to 11-0 on the year when scoring multiple goals. Tuesday's five-goal outburst in its season finale marked the Wildcats' highest scoring game of the season, eclipsing 4-1 victories over South Carolina and Duke.
Despite starting the season 9-1, Davidson finished 3-4 in the Southern Conference and did not qualify for this year's 4-school SoCon tournament.
Tuesday's game was the final regular season home contest for six Campbell seniors -- Ted Awana, Pat Danford, Jason Keever, Justin Madrid, Vince Petrasso and Austin Skakle. However, the Camels (8-9-1), who won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season crown for the second-straight year, will host next week's league semifinals (Nov. 12) and championship (Nov. 14) as the top seed.
On Tuesday, Davidson (11-7) took an early lead with a sixth minute own goal. Alex Caskey whipped a cross into the area that caromed off a Camel defender and into Ted Awana's net.
The Wildcats doubled the advantage with a 24th minute counter attack. Charlie Reiter played the ball to Josh Zipin, whose shot found the net for his third goal of the year.
Campbell drew within one in the 30th minute. Bryan Dornseif flicked on J.P. Blosser's cross to the far post where Pat Danford struck a half volley on target. Davidson keeper Robby Goldsberry dove to his left to make the initial save, but Campbell freshman Mitchell Cardenas knocked in the rebound for his fifth goal of the year.
Just 46 seconds into the second period, Reiter netted his 10th goal of the year. Hambleton sent a cross from the right flank to the left side of the box, where Josh Zipin touched the ball to Reiter, whose one-timer hit the mark.
In the 62nd minute, Davidson again struck on the counter attack when Hambleton fed Clinton Smith down the left flank. Reiter then curled a left-footed shot around Awana, who was charging off his line, and just inside the near (left) post.
Less than four minutes later, Hambleton fed Reiter at the top of the area for his 12th goal of the year.
Smith's header off Jason Keever's corner kick in the 73rd minute provided the final margin.
Both teams finished with 14 shots, but Davidson held a 9-6 edge in attempts on target. Wildcat keeper Robby Goldsberry made four saves, while Awana finished with four in the Camel nets.
Campbell's six-man senior class has helped CU build a 25-4-5 A-Sun regular season record over the past four years, and a 32-5-5 mark dating back to fifth-year senior Madrid's freshman campaign. Along the way, the Camels have won the league regular season title in 2005, '08 and '09 as well as the conference tournament crown in '07, while garnering the program's first-ever year-end national ranking in '08. During that span, Campbell defeated North Carolina three times in the last four years and became the most successful of all A-Sun schools in the last five seasons.
On Thurs., Nov. 12, A-Sun Championship semifinal play begins at 4:00 p.m. with second-seeded Stetson facing the winner of Saturday's Lipscomb at East Tennessee State first-round match. The winner of Saturday's Mercer at North Florida contest will square off against top-seeded Campbell on Thurs., Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m. The final is slated for a 1:00 p.m. kick-off on Sat., Nov. 14.