FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Making its first appearance in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament since 2014, Nova Southeastern had the look of a team poised to make a postseason run, as the Sharks blanked Florida Tech 3-0 in the quarterfinal round at the NSU Soccer Complex. The postseason win marked the first for the program this decade, and now sets up the Sharks for a semifinal showdown with Palm Beach Atlantic this Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 3, Florida Tech 0
Records: Nova Southeastern (12-3-1), Florida Tech (10-4-1)
Location: NSU Soccer Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Following a back-and-forth affair in which both sides registered seven shots apiece during the first 43:38, the match appeared as if it'd head into intermission knotted at 0-0. However, in the waning moments of the opening half, midfielder Ignacio Goya hammered home a right-footed strike from over 30 yards out to give the Sharks the 1-0 cushion.
- Faced with the deficit, Florida Tech upped its urgency to begin the second half and nearly evened up the score in the 52nd minute after Solomon Wheatley was set up with a one-on-one opportunity against Nova Southeastern keeper Titouan Le Roux. Yet, the attempted chip shot over the diving Le Roux caught just enough of the right post before being cleared out of danger.
- Roughly seven minutes later, Florida Tech's Luca Campanini flicked a header towards the net, but his attempt, too, deflected off the post, keeping the Sharks in front by the slim 1-0 margin.
- Still holding onto the 1-0 lead in the 81st minute, Darwin Lom had an open look saved by Florida Tech netminder Jason Fesquet. In the ensuing Sharks' possession, however, Lom forced the pressure on the Panthers' backline again only to be taken down in the box by Tapfuma Dimairo. Awarded the penalty kick, the senior calmly converted his ninth goal of the season to give Nova Southeastern a bit of breathing room.
- Immediately following the goal by Lom, Florida Tech pushed forward in an attempt to climb back into the match. Yet, a turnover close to midfield allowed Bradley Fountain to make a long run all the way into the 18-yard box before firing a low shot past the diving Fesquet to seal the eventual 3-0 win.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- Entering Monday, Florida Tech's three previous defeats had all been by one goal apiece.
- The three goals scored by the Sharks set a new program record for goals in an SSC Tournament match.
- Monday's marked the first postseason shutout for the Sharks since 2007, and fifth overall.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- Half of the Sharks' 22 shots were tallied in the final 20 minutes. The 22 total shots also tie an SSC season-high set against Rollins and Eckerd.
- Following his first-half goal, Goya became the sixth player with 10-plus points this season for the Sharks. This is the first time Nova Southeastern has had six players register at least 10 points in a season since 2003.
- Le Roux collected two saves en route to his fifth shutout of the season, and is now just one short of breaking the NCAA-era single-season record.
UP NEXT:
Nova Southeastern will now advance to face Palm Beach Atlantic in the SSC Tournament semifinal round this Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. The Sailfish edged the Sharks 1-0 in the previous meeting on Oct. 10, using a penalty kick in the 76th minute to escape with the narrow victory. For complete coverage of the tourney action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MSoccer.
