AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's soccer team improved to 2-0 Saturday with a 4-1 win over the Johnson University Suns. It's the second 2-0 start for the Gyrenes in the past three seasons, as the 2020 Gyrenes also won their first two games of the season.
During the first 20 minutes of the first half, the two teams were getting a feel for each other and were balancing out on the scoresheet. Both squads recorded a few fouls and a couple shots, but no goals. That all changed in the waning minutes of the opening period.
Ave started gaining momentum and control of the game as the clock ticked down, and it felt as if a goal was imminent. Sure enough, in the 34th minute, Juan Parra sent the ball into the back of the net off a great feed from Luis Ortiz. It was Parra's second goal of the season after he scored the opening goal in the season opener at Florida College August 27.
Just four minutes later, the Gyrenes would add a second goal to their total. After a bad pass from a Johnson defender that was intended for their goalie, captain Josh Gaeng intercepted the ball and buried it home to make the score 2-0. Ave Maria would take that comfortable lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Gyrenes came out pressing and their efforts were rewarded with two early goals to put the game away. Just eight minutes in, Gaeng got his second goal of the game and fourth of the season. Parra crossed the ball over to Gaeng who slid the ball under the diving body of the Suns' goalie.
Just six minutes later, J.P. Pontarelli cashed in on a corner kick from Parra with a header goal to give Ave Maria a 4-0 lead.
Feeling pretty good with a four-goal lead, head coach Eddie Gaven took out his starters to give some of the younger guys some real game experience in the 72nd minute. The Gyrenes were greeted with thunderous applause of a job well-done at Gyrene Field as they came off the pitch.
The Suns recorded their lone goal in the 73rd minute off the foot of Marcos Ramos. Both the Gyrenes and Suns would threaten a goal a couple more times in the last ten minutes, but to no avail, and Ave Maria walked away with a 4-1 victory.
The Gyrenes play again at home Tuesday, September 6 when the host the Falcons of Florida College. It will be the second time the two squads have played this season with the Gyrenes winning the previous matchup 4-1 August 27.
