AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Men's Soccer team was shutout Saturday night against the Florida National Conquistadors, losing 2-0. The Gyrenes were on their heels for most of the game and didn't get a shot on goal until the final ten minutes of the game.
Out of the gate, Saturday night was all Florida National. The Conquistadors controlled the ball for most of the half were firing off a lot of shots. In the opening 45 minutes, FNU outshot Ave Maria 13-2. Six of those shots were on target while both of Ave Maria's shots were wide.
Keeper Andrija Vujakovic was up to the task and stopped all six shots, bringing his season save total up to 49.
In the second half, the Gyrenes were looking for a spark and made a change in goalkeeper, bringing in Noah Bayleat, a freshman from Goshen, Indiana. It was the first half of play in the regular season when Vujakovic was not in net for the Gyrenes.
Bayleat did well in his first half of play, stopping the first two shots he faced.
Unfortunately, in the 65
th minute, Florida National's 18
th shot of the game got by and put them up 1-0.
Just a little under four minutes later, the Conquistadors struck again, scoring their second goal of the game.
The offensive woes also continued for the Gyrenes in the second half. After being held to just two shots off goal in the first half, Ave Maria did not record a shot until the 75
th minute in the second half. It was also wide.
Ave Maria got their one and only shot on goal of the night in the 87
th minute off a header shot from Padriac Pierson that was saved by the FNU goalie.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 1-6-2 on the year.
The Gyrenes get an off day on Wednesday and are back in action Saturday, October 5, as they travel up to Lake Wales, Florida, to take on the Warner Royals. The first match between the Gyrenes and the Royals had a dramatic ending with Ave Maria scoring two goals in the final eight minutes of the game to tie Warner 3-3. The last time the Gyrenes played in Lake Wales, they beat Warner 3-1 for their first win of the 2023 season. The game can be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
