Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s soccer team extended its all-time record against Thomas (Ga.) to 7-0 by defeating the Nighthawks (4-2-3), 3-0 at NSU Soccer Complex Friday night.

Juan Gonzalez (Sr., Oakland Park, Fla.) scored the game-winning goal for the Sharks (4-1-2) while Tim Taylor (Sr., Farmington Hills, Mich.) and Stian Roa (Fr., Oslo, Norway) both scored to help NSU win by a margin of three goals for the second time this season.

The majority of the first half was uneventful as neither team took more than five shots. The Sharks had a bit of a scare in the 12th minute as the Nighthawks took a header from point-blank range that bounced off the post. It would take the Sharks 27 minutes to earn their first shot but they controlled the pace from there on out.

It seemed as if the game would go into the half tied at 0-0 but Gonzalez put the Sharks ahead with his goal in the 44th minute. Gonzalez received a pass from Brian Cardozo (Sr., Davie, Fla.) and scored from dead-center 25 yards away from the goal. It was his first goal since scoring the game-winner against Thomas last season.

The Sharks came out in the second half with a defensive mentality, holding the desperate Nighthawks to only seven shots over the final 45 minutes. Roa tacked on NSU’s second goal of the game in the 84th minute by receiving a pass from Cardozo and scoring from 20 yards out on the right side. It was Roa’s second goal of the season and Cardozo’s team-high third assist.

Taylor drove the final nail in the coffin less than a minute later as he scored just inside the box from the left side. Craig Heenighan (Sr., Widnes, England) earned his first assist of the season on the goal.

Goalkeeper Lyle Howe (So., Coral Springs, Fla.) picked up his fourth win along with five saves. Nathan Cox(Fr., Fircrest, Wash.) came in for the final minutes of the game and picked up his first career save.

The Sharks will return to SSC play this Wednesday, Sept. 29 when they face Florida Tech at home at 8 pm.