FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University Sharks men's soccer team struck early and often Thursday night, en route to a 6-0 win against the Ave Maria Gyrenes at the NSU Soccer Complex.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 6, Ave Maria 0
Records: Nova Southeastern (5-7), Ave Maria (3-7-3)
Location: NSU Soccer Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MSoccer | Instagram - @NSU_MSoccer | Facebook - /NSUSharksAthletics

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Sharks wasted no time, scoring less than three minutes into the match, when Daniel Gutierrez, assisted by Bestun Mohammed, ricocheted the ball for his first career goal and the team's quickest in two seasons under Head Coach Matt Watts.
• Ignacio Goya got in on the action in the 11^th minute, sending a rocket into the net from 30 yards out.
• Up 2-0 at the half, the Sharks were still hungrier for more. Darwin Lom extended the lead in just the sixth minute out of the break on an assist from Nathaniel Pells.
• After a handball in the box in the 69^th minute, Stefan Faistenauer grooved in a penalty kick, the team's second PK conversion in less than a week.
• Gutierrez hit net again in the 77^th, off the inside of the left post, this time from Filippo Mancini.
• Gutierrez then assisted Giovani Raymond in the 88^th minute to bring the match to its final score.
• Jack Howard made the start in goal for the Sharks, stopping four shots to earn his second victory of the season. Daniel Ordaz, making his collegiate debut, relieved him for the match's final 16 minutes of action.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• The Sharks scored their highest goal total since a 6-2 win on September 10, 2014, also at home over Ave Maria. This was also their largest shutout victory since a 7-0 home victory over North Georgia on October 15, 2008.
• The offense topped its five-goal effort at Flagler on September 23, and set a new high with Watts at the helm.
• After 29 games as a Shark, Gutierrez scored the first two goals of his career and the team's second multi-goal game of the 2017 season, following Noel Johnson's two-goal game at Flagler on September 23.
• Gutierrez is the first player to notch his first two goals in the same game since Soma Gubacsi on September 16, 2015 did so in the 86^th and 88^th minutes of a 4-0 home victory over Florida Southern.
• The last time the Sharks scored five goals twice in one season was 2008, when they actually had three such games: a 5-0 victory at Georgia Southwestern on August 30, a 6-0 win against Lake Erie College on September 7 and the aforementioned defeat of North Georgia.

 
STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• The Sharks had a slight 7-5 advantage in shots at halftime, but ramped up the pressure in the second half, outshooting the Gyrenes 13-2.
• In addition to Gutierrez, Raymond also scored the first goal of his career.
• Lom's goal was his fourth of the season, which puts him in a tie with Johnson for the team lead.
• Gutierrez also led the team with five shots and three on goal, both career highs. He assisted on Raymond's, giving him five points for the match, the highest total this season and the most by a Shark since Juan Gonzalez's five on October 27, 2010 in a 5-2 victory over Lynn.
• The Sharks improve to 5-0 all-time in the series history, including a 16-2 goal differential in three matches at the NSU Soccer Complex.

WATTS' WORDS:

• "We had some fresh faces in tonight and some guys who did a really good job, so hopefully we take this confidence and we go on to Saturday."

UP NEXT:
The Sharks will stay home this weekend, hosting the Eckerd Tritons on Saturday. For complete coverage of the action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com.