AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's soccer team dropped a conference match on Saturday afternoon, losing 6-1 to the Night Hawks of Thomas University. Despite the loss, the Gyrenes set a school record by scoring a goal for the eighth consecutive match. Ave Maria has put a goal in the back of the net in nine of their ten matches this season.

Thomas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of the match. The Night Hawks got on the board in the 12th minute, when a cross from Mark Lescher found the head of Rene Rivera, who placed the ball in the net for a 1-0 Thomas lead. Diego Azar added the second goal for the Night Hawks, as an Ave Maria foul led to a free kick that curled into the net from roughly 30 yards out in the 16th minute.

Ave Maria's lone goal came in the 37th minute, and cut Thomas' lead back to one goal. A long pass from Ulises Soto was eventually finished by John Gokey, who logged his second goal of the 2019 season. Gokey has now scored in two of the last three matches for the Gyrenes, following his tally in the 37th minute on Saturday

The Night Hawks scored one more goal in the first half, as Gavin Rochford-Smith followed up on a shot that hit the post to make it 3-1. Thomas added three more goals in the second half, with Mateo Arbelaez, Rochford-Smith, and Selwyn Slotegraaf supplying the scoring. Jack Chambers and Cavan Daley each logged an assist during the final 45 minutes of action.

After both teams attempted eight shots in the first half, Thomas controlled the second half to the tune of an 8-1 shot advantage. Rivera led the attack for the Night Hawks, attempting four shots with three attempts on goal. Gokey was Ave's leading attacker with three shots on goal. 

AMU's only match next week comes on Wednesday afternoon, when the Gyrenes travel to North Miami for a meeting with the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University. The opening kickoff of The Sun Conference matchup is scheduled for noon at Miami Shore Village.