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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s soccer team (3-5-1, 1-3-0 SSC) will look to pickup up momentum this Wednesday, Oct. 5 as the Sharks take on the Eckerd Tritons (6-3-1, 1-1-1 SSC) in St. Petersburg at 7 p.m.

The Sharks enter the match coming off their first Sunshine State Conference win of the season at home Saturday against the Florida Southern Mocs. It was a back and forth struggle as NSU fought off a pesky Mocs team that would not go down easily. The Sharks controlled the pace of the game and scored a goal in both the first and second periods. FSC kept up the pace by taking advantage of their few opportunities. In overtime, Halil Tozar (Fr., Berlin, Germany) ended the match as he scored the game-winner in the 94th minute. He was assisted by freshmen Tyree Clarke (Birmingham, England) and Anthony Jack (Stevenage, England).

Despite a three-match losing streak to start conference play, the Sharks’ win against Florida Southern put them back in the race for a spot in the SSC Tournament. The Sharks are currently in a four-way tie for sixth place with three points while two teams, No. 10 Barry and Eckerd, rank ahead of them with four points. Barry will take on No. 19 Florida Tech Tuesday night while Florida Southern and Tampa, two teams with three points, face off during NSU’s match against Eckerd. If the matches play out in the Sharks’ favor, they could potentially be sitting in fourth place by the end of the night.

First, the Sharks will need to capture a victory in what has become a must-win night. In past years Eckerd has not been a struggle for the Sharks as NSU is 10-2 all-time against Eckerd, with the losses coming in 2005 and 2007. Last season, the Sharks posted a 4-2 win at home against the Tritons as Matthew Ilter (So., Lake Mary, Fla.) had one of his best matches of the season, posting two goals.

Despite a good history, this is not your average Eckerd team. This season the Tritons have posted a .666 winning percentage with victories over No. 24 Saint Leo and Francis Marion. Their defense has been their strongest suit as they’ve only allowed two out of 10 opponents to score multiple goals. Offensively, Eckerd is led by Matt Knight who ranks second in the SSC with two goals scored.

Wednesday’s match will be between two teams desperately trying to survive in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Eckerd is trying to secure their place in the SSC Tournament after missing it for the last three seasons. The Sharks are trying to stay in the playoff picture to maintain their consistent success since joining the NCAA. Since becoming a member of the SSC in 2004, NSU is the only school to appear in the every SSC Tournament. Their uphill climb to maintain that status began with their overtime win at home against FSC and will continue on the road against a hungry Triton team.

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