Box Score
Play-by-Play
Miami Gardens, Fla- The men's soccer team was in action Wednesday afternoon taking on Eckerd University. They would lose the match after conceding two goals.
Eckerd was looking to recuperate after an opening season loss and STU came into the match with an 0-2 record and was looking to improve after two disappointing losses.
Eckerd got off to a quick start when in the first minute they got off a quick shot at goal that was just as quickly scooped up by Bobcats goalkeeper Adam Greene. The first half was mostly a tightly contested game with STU dictating pace and having most of the possession. Each team started the match with a conservative 4-4-2 formation.
However, this was short lived, in the fifteenth minute of the first half Eckerd was awarded a corner kick and number 10, Drew Smith would score a spectacular goal with a bending left footed shot that managed to sneak past goalkeeper Adam Greene in the upper left hand corner of the goal post for the matches first score.
The first half was a physical contest as both teams were cautioned with several yellow cards being shown by the referee. After conceding the first goal STU coach Felix Mats changed the formation to a more offensive minded 4-5-1 formation in order to control the middle of the field.
STU would continue to threaten when in the forty fourth minute Guillermo Huaman would take a shot at goal that was deflected off the defense and out of play. The first half would come to an end with a shot by Eckerd midfielder Dean Hobbis going over the STU crossbar and out of play.
The second half would be an exciting affair as both teams would trade shots at goal for the entire half. STU would battle back hard and keep the pressure on Eckerd. When in the next few minutes of the second half STU midfielder Huaman would take two shots at the Eckerd goal to no avail as one shot was saved and the other went wide.
Both teams would continue to trade shots at goal with the second breakthrough for Eckerd came when in the fifteenth minute Eckerd midfielder English international Matt Knight played a beautiful through ball to his English compatriot Alex Patterson for the game's second goal.
Eckerd's head coach Steven Magee was happy with his team's performance after the match. “I was pleased that we came out with a two to one win” Magee said. “We battled hard.” “I think it was a fair result” Magee added.
STU would continue to battle for the remainder of the fixture. But missed chances and scoring opportunities would be the story of the match. STU's mettle and resiliency did pay off when in the thirty seventh minute of the second half STU midfielder Andrew Livingston scored the Bobcats lone goal off of a rebound. Coach Felix Mats was pleased with his team's resiliency after the match. “We worked hard today” Mats said. 'We fought back from a 2-0 deficit. We were lacking some finishing touch at the end of it all” Mats added.
Mats felt that the formation change aided the Bobcats effort to try to get something going. “We were put against the ropes and we had to get more forwards in that part of the park” Mats said.
Mats was pleased with Andrew Livingston's performance. “It's his first game and he is healthy and working hard.” I think as soon as he gets some games under his belt he will help the team and he is a driven player” Mats added.
STU would continue to threaten but could not secure the equalizer, even after a brilliant individual sequence by freshman Orlando Lawrence in the closing minutes of the match to no avail.
The Bobcats take to the pitch next against Friday, traveling to St Petersburg to take on Florida Southern College.
