LAUDERHILL, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's soccer team got back in the win column on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a 6-0 victory over the Eagles of the University of Fort Lauderdale. It was the first-ever meeting between Ave Maria and Fort Lauderdale, as well as the first game of the season for the Eagles. The Gyrenes scored three goals in the span of four minutes in the first half, then used a second half hat trick from Josh Gaeng to earn their second victory of the 2021 season.
The Eagles and Gyrenes played more than 30 minutes of scoreless soccer, which also included a brief lightning delay that sent the teams off the pitch. Ave Maria finally got on the board in the 36th minute, thanks to the second goal of the season from Nikola Vinski. The senior, on an assist from Ben Tumey, broke the scoreless tie to give the Gyrenes a 1-0 lead, which opened the floodgates for two more goals before the 40-minute mark.
Just 24 seconds later, Ave Maria was on the board again. This time, it was freshman JP Pontarelli that found the back of the net, scoring the first goal of his Ave Maria career to extend the lead to 2-0. The third goal of the first half came in the 40th minute, as Sebastian Foltz beat the goalkeeper. The scoring barrage from the Gyrenes would prove to be more than enough, and AMU entered halftime up three goals.
In the second half, forward Josh Gaeng took over the match. After 30 more minutes of scoreless action, the sophomore made it 4-0 Ave Maria with a goal in the 77th minute. He followed with another goal in the 80th minute, this one assisted by Diego Heredia. The sophomore completed his hat trick in the 83rd minute, with Nicholas Bel earning the final assist. Gaeng's hat trick is the first for an AMU player since Kensley Jean Baptiste scored three against the University of the Virgin Islands on October 22, 2019.
Ave Maria was on attack for much of Saturday's contest, logging 24 shots to just nine for Fort Lauderdale. That edge also included a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal. On the other side of the field, goalkeeper Rhys Lawlor earned a shutout for the Gyrenes, stopping all four shots that were on target. The sophomore made two saves in both halves of the contest, posting a clean sheet for the second time this season.
Sun Conference action begins for the Gyrenes next week, as Ave Maria enters league play in one week's time. Next Saturday, the Gyrenes will head back to the east coast to face off with the Lions of Florida Memorial University. AMU enters the match after a sweep of the Lions last season, which came in the first two matches of the 2020 campaign. Kickoff in Miami Gardens is scheduled for noon.
