AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's soccer team hung around for most of its match with Florida National University on Wednesday evening, but fell 2-0 to the visiting Conquistadors at Gyrene Field. Ave Maria lost 5-1 to FNU in the first meeting between the teams, but trailed just 1-0 until late in the contest on Wednesday.
Ave Maria started the evening strong, peppering the FNU goalkeeper with several shots early in the contest. In the first eleven minutes of the match, AMU had four corner kicks and three shots on goal, but could not get on the board first. The game would remain scoreless until the 39th minute, when the Conquistadors took the lead for good.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, Florida National's Manuel Rodriguez fired off a shot from outside the box. The shot deflected off an Ave Maria defender, and landed in the back of the net. The own goal gave Florida National a 1-0 lead entering the halftime break.
Florida National kept up the pressure in the second half, outshooting the Gyrenes 9-2 over the final 45 minutes and attempting eight corner kicks. The pressure finally broke in the 87th minute, when FNU put the match away with their second goal of the night. Nicolas Martinez beat the AMU goalkeeper from close range to finish the night's scoring with just over three minutes to play.
The Conquistadors held a 22-7 lead in shots over the Gyrenes, including a 9-3 edge in shots on goal. Both teams had plenty of opportunities on set pieces, as the two teams combined to take 19 corner kicks (12 for Florida National and seven for Ave Maria). The match was also a physical affair between the two sides, with six yellow cards handed out on the night.
Goalkeeper Rhys Lawlor did an admirable job keeping the Gyrenes in the contest for most of the night, making seven saves with several huge stops. Sophomore Josh Gaeng was the lead attacker for Ave Maria, taking four shots with two shots on goal. Diego Heredia also attempted two shots.
Next on the schedule for the Gyrenes is a first-time opponent, the University of Fort Lauderdale. Ave Maria will travel across Alligator Alley to take on the Eagles, who will be playing their first game in program history. Kickoff at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
