Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2008) - The Nova Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated St. Thomas 1-0 in action at the NSU Soccer Complex in a hard-fought defensive struggle. The win brings Nova Southeastern's record to 5-1-1 on the season while St. Thomas falls to 3-2-0, and 2-1 in Sun Conference play. The game's only goal came in the 65th minute when Craig Heenigan scored off an assist from defenseman Tim Taylor.
Goalkeeper Aaron Jones played a very consistent game tallying 5 saves, but the constant attack from the Sharks eventually broke through with the deciding strike after a deadlocked and scoreless first half. Overall, the Sharks attempted 17 shots, compared to the Bobcats who recorded only 8. Of those shots, St. Thomas was only able to guide three shots toward goal, and the inconsistent attack led to a second consecutive shutout. The Sharks aggression on offense was seen all over the field, as they also attempted four more corner kicks than the 'Cats, outshooting them STU 5-1.
Unlike past games where the Bobcats had been distracted with physical play and hampered by cards and ejections, this was a relatively well-played and clean game. STU was able to stay out of the official's book, and was only whistled for a total of 7 fouls. This has been an area of focus for coach Felix Mats this season, as excessive fouls and cards have detracted from the fluent offense that he would like to deploy.
Although the offense continues to be somewhat stagnant and unproductive, Gabe Renteria and Chris Jean continue to impress with their solid play. Each player recorded two shots, and each had an attempt on goal.
The loss marks the second straight for the Bobcats, who now look to turn their luck with a home game at Bobcat Field this Sunday against Savannah College of Art and Design at 4 p.m. The Bobcats defeated conference rival SCAD earlier this season 3-2 in Savannah, and look to find their offensive stride again this weekend.
