AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Men's soccer team fought through the storms and a rigid defense from the Florida Poly Phoenix Saturday afternoon. Battling both the elements and the Phoenix, the Gyrenes proved victorious as they defeated Florida Poly 2-0.
The first half was filled with rough defense and even harsher weather. Both teams were scoreless through the first 23 minutes of the match when the game was halted by a lightning delay.
Goalkeeper Noah Balyeat logged one save before the game entered a suspended state.
After the delay, Ave Maria came out hot as they had several opportunities at the net. Finally, at the 35
th minute, Ave Maria broke the tie when Sava Cadjenovic found nylon for his third goal of the season.
The Gyrenes defense held strong for the final 10 minutes of the half and took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The second half was filled with even more defense from the Gyrenes. The Phoenix recorded 12 shots on goal, with goalkeeper Balyeat getting two more saves in the match.
The Gyrenes extended their lead in the 65
th minute. Racing down towards the top of the box, a Gyrene was tripped up by a Florida Poly defender. The referee determined this prevented a rightful look at the goal and awarded the Gyrenes a penalty shot.
Mateo Rolon stepped up to take the shot and did not miss as he buried one past the keeper to extend Ave Maria's lead to two goals.
Florida Poly unleashed a barrage of shots following the second goal, but the Gyrene defense was their every time. Balyeat recorded 11 saves and the defense helped out with one more as the senior posted the first ever solo shutout of his collegiate career.
When the final whistle blew, Ave Maria walked off the pitch with a 2-0 victory.
With the win, the Gyrenes improve to 6-2 overall and 3-0 at home.
Ave Maria looks to continue their success as they are on the road for their next match against the Eckerd Tritons. It will be the first match between Eckerd and Ave Maria since 2018. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, September 19, and the match will be streamed live on the Sunshine State Conference Digital Network.
