ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Ave Maria Men's soccer team took on the Eckerd Tritons Saturday afternoon in a cross-association match. Despite being able to hold the NCAA Division II Tritons scoreless for the first 40 minutes, the Gyrenes fell 4-0.
Both teams stepped up defensively in the opening frame, limiting each other to just a few shots in the first 40 minutes of the match. None of the shots taken were directed on goal as the game remained scoreless.
The tie was finally broken late in the first half, as Eckerd got behind the Gyrenes defense and scored in the 42
nd minute. Ave Maria could not get another shot in the final minutes, as the Tritons took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
The second half started with offense from both Ave Maria and Eckard. Andrija Vujakovic recorded a save and the Ave Maria defense kept several more shots from the net. Gomez had another shot, but his attempt was blocked by Eckard.
Ave Maria had more attempts on the goal but could not find the back of the net. Andre Betioli logged a shot in the 66
th minute but could not find the mark.
Eckard extended their lead in the 77
th minute by scoring another goal and pushing the lead to 2-0. Eckerd would go on to score two more goals as the Gyrenes lost to the Eckerd Tritons 4-0.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 6-3 on the season. All three of their losses have been on the road this season, but the Gyrenes look to regain momentum as they travel to Hialeah, Florida, Friday to take on the Florida National Conquistadors. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
