WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's soccer team led the 13th ranked team in the nation with 20 minutes to play, but could not finish the massive upset in a 3-2 loss to the Keiser University Seahawks in West Palm Beach. The Gyrenes led 2-1 after goals in the 34th and 49th minutes, but fell victim to Seahawk goals in the 72nd and 81st minutes.

Keiser opened the scoring just under 30 minutes into the match, taking advantage of an AMU miscue. A Gyrene yellow card gave Mikael Baisotti a penalty kick in the 30th minute, and the Seahawk buried the effort to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Just over three minutes later, Ave Maria had an answer, as Sava Cadjenovic found the back of the net in the 34th minute on an assist from Mateo Rolon, giving the game a 1-1 score it would take into halftime.

Rolon then gave the Gyrenes the lead in the 49th minute, increasing his team lead in goals with a tally from Jael Parraga. Leading 2-1, the Gyrenes continued to lead until the 72nd minute, when Aldair Chavez tied the match for Keiser. The game-winner came in the 81st minute, when Ian Garnero, who had assisted on the Chavez goal earlier in the half, sent home the final goal of the match.

Statistically, Ave Maria leading into the final 20 minutes of the match was a minor miracle. The Seahawks outshot Ave Maria by a 30-6 margin, with AMU's only two shots on goal the goals from Cadjenovic and Rolon. The Gyrenes also turned away ten Keiser corner kicks to keep the match close. The teams played a physical contest in West Palm Beach, with 30 fouls called and seven yellow cards handed out.

Andrija Vujakovic did all he could to keep Ave Maria in striking distance of the upset, making 14 saves against the nationally ranked Seahawks. The two scoring Gyrenes were the only AMU player to attempt shots in the losing effort, with Rolon firing a team-high four shots and Cadjenovic adding another shot in addition to his goal.

The Gyrenes will have very little time to rest before returning to the field, with a non-conference match scheduled for Monday. Ave Maria will host the Mighty Banyans of New College of Florida at Gyrene Field, in a match that was originally scheduled for October 9 and was delayed due to Hurricane Milton. The first of three straight home matches for the Gyrenes is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Gyrene Field.