In the "Battle of the Eagles", the No. 18 FGCU men's soccer team (3-0-1) scored three second half goals to roll past RV Georgia Southern (2-1-0) 5-1, Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
"I'm really proud of the all-around performance from our guys today," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "We got caught early on but I'm glad how we were able to respond and take the 2-1 lead before the half. Coming out of the break we knew we had to keep the energy going and we did that. Up and down the roster everyone contributed today and that's what you like to see, so I was very pleased."
"We weren't at the races today, so it was a pretty disappointing result," Georgia Southern Head Men's Soccer Coach John Murphy said. "The little details at this level are important, so it's back to the drawing board this week. We will use our time as best we can to prepare for our game this Friday at North Florida."
For starting goalkeepers, Cormier sent redshirt junior Gustavo Vasconcelos while Georgia Southern head coach John Murphy sent sophomore Jokull Blaengsson to counter.
It was a shaky start for the Green and Blue as Georgia Southern was the first to strike with a goal by junior Alhaji Tambadu in the sixth minute. Unfazed, FGCU responded eight minutes later using the right side of the pitch. Senior Shak Adams found junior Kareem Riley who dished it to sophomore O'Vonte Mullings inside the 18-yard box for the one-timer shot. It was Mullings first of the season. Redshirt junior Thomas Deplace nearly put FGCU up in the 32nd with a header off a corner kick but a one-handed save denied the senior.
The game looked to be tied minutes before the intermission but freshman Aiden Jokomba changed that. Appearing in his first collegiate match after graduating from Cornwall College, Jokomba found a ball from freshman Stephen Linton inside the six-yard box and put it away (42nd minute) to the far post, no more than one minute after being subbed in. FGCU headed to the locker room up 2-1, registering 11 shots with eight coming on frame.
In the second stanza, the Eagles recorded their first shot on target in the 67th minute via Adams as Deplace capitalized in the 70th. Once again off a corner, the captain headed one to the right-upper 90 for the 3-1 lead. Senior Miguel Perez was credited with the assist. The two final goals for the Green and Blue would arrive in the final 12 minutes.
Just inside the right edge of the 18-yard box, senior Joao Burti crossed a pass to his left and found senior Jahan Rajaee for the tap-pin in the 78th minute. Six minutes later, junior Michael Luke netted the final goal for FGCU. The junior midfielder sprinted along the left-side of the pitch all the way to the penalty area where he struck a right-footed shot right past the keeper's left hand.
Along with Jokomba, Deplace, Rajaee and Luke all netted their first career collegiate goals. On offense, 12 different Eagles recorded a shot as the team finished with 21, 15 coming on frame.
Vasconcelos capped off the match securing five saves as he moves to 3-0-1 between the posts while Blaengsson (2-1) posted 10 saves.
Up Next:
FGCU hits the road to California where it will play 2018 NCAA participant UC Riverside (3-0-0) Friday night, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. Two days later, the Eagles square off against Cal State Fullerton (3-0-0).
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