AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University men's soccer team (5-2-0) fell behind early but finished strong to defeat the Ave Maria Gyrenes (1-3-0), 2-1, on the road Saturday.
Saturday's match kicked off an hour late, after both teams decided to change fields due to poor conditions. The rough start continued to get worse after kickoff, when a bad clearance in the fourth minute led to an Ave Maria goal. It was the Gyrenes' first of two first-half shots, the second coming later on a low, unthreatening shot on goal.
Meanwhile, NSU pressured the home team for all 45 minutes. The Sharks forced six saves on seven shots, with one late strike from
Nate Bladecki (Fr., Troy, Mich.) deflecting off the keeper's hands and into the post. The majority of the first-half action came in Ave Maria territory, but NSU could not find the back of the net.
The accumulation of attacks eventually broke the Sharks through seven minutes into the second half.
Daniel Gutierrez (Fr., Weston, Fla.) dribbled the ball into the box on the right side of the goal, drawing a foul and putting
Caue Munareti Rodrigues (Jr., Sao Paulo, Brazil) in position to score a penalty kick. The junior punched in his first goal in an NSU uniform to equalize.
The match was firmly in the Sharks' hands from there on out.
Jo Jien Lee (Jr., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), who entered as goalkeeper for the second half, secured two saves and covered his area of the field. However, the Sharks' attack kept the Gyrenes on their heels. The home team made another four saves in the half and did enough to keep the match tied going into the final moments of the match.
Just after the one minute call, the Sharks drew another foul on the right side of the goal, this time forcing a free kick just outside the box. With seconds left on the clock,
Stefano Fanfoni (Sr., Cremona, Italy) patiently stepped up to the ball and took a perfect free kick, bending it right into the top of the net. It was the senior's second game-winner in as many matches.
The win gave the Sharks their fifth victory in seven matches, the fastest NSU has hit that mark since 2008. NSU has won four out of its last five matches, with a +6 goal differential.
NSU will continue its four-match road trip against the defending NCAA National Champions, Lynn, Wednesday at 7 p.m.
