FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – On Senior Night, it was junior
Sebastian Loibl that stole the show, as the forward's second career hat trick propelled Nova Southeastern to a decisive 4-1 victory over Embry-Riddle. The win marked the fifth consecutive in Sunshine State Conference play for the Sharks, setting a new program record.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 4, Embry-Riddle 1
Records: Nova Southeastern (8-4-3, 5-3-1 SSC), Embry-Riddle (4-9, 3-7 SSC)
Location: NSU Soccer Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
- How the tides may have turned had Embry-Riddle scored in the ninth minute after Christian Mather had clearly beaten NSU keeper Titouan Le Roux. Instead, defender Curtis Thorn made a last-second header save in the corner of the net to keep the Eagles off the board.
- Fast forward to the 22nd minute, and the Sharks once again caught a break, as an initial offside call was overturned and ruled a goal for Loibl, shifting momentum for the remainder of the match.
- Less than six minutes later, NSU doubled its lead when Aleks Berg slotted a perfectly-placed ball down the left side of the field to Loibl, who cashed in on the one-on-one chance with the keeper.
- Embry-Riddle would claw back, though, late in the half, using a converted penalty kick to cut the margin to 2-1 just before intermission.
- However, the Sharks would soon stretch their lead back out to two in the 61st minute. With possession near the top of the box, Loibl dropped off a pass to Matty Cornish, allowing the midfielder to drill a bending ball into the right corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
- A Le Roux save kept the 3-1 edge intact in the 69th minute before Loibl eventually polished off the hat trick, and the Eagles, with a one-touch finish on a feed from Michael Lawrence.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- All six of NSU's seniors appeared in Saturday's victory.
- Loibl's previous hat trick as a Shark came in a 5-0 shutout versus Flagler on Sept. 18, 2018.
- During their current five-game win streak, the Sharks have outscored their opponents by a combined 15-5 margin.
- Loibl is only the second NSU player in the NCAA-era with multiple career hat tricks, becoming the first to accomplish the feat since 2003.
- Saturday's victory marks the third straight for the Sharks over Embry-Riddle.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- Loibl's seven-point performance matches a career high for points in a single game, and also equals the program's single-game record since joining the NCAA.
- Jan Luca Ahillen's fourth assist of the season moves him into sole possession of second on the team.
- Le Roux tallied five saves in the effort, and is now 2-0 in net since returning from injury.
- The Sharks outshot the Eagles by a 20-15 margin, and also won the corner kick battle, 7-6.
UP NEXT:
All but locked in as the No. 4 seed in the SSC Tournament, NSU will wrap up the regular season on the road Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Rollins. For online coverage of the action, visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MSoccer.
