Lakeland, Fla. – The Southeastern men's soccer team is trending upwards. After a tough start to the 2016 campaign where the Fire played six straight games on the road and failed to record a shutout, SEU has now won three straight Sun Conference games and posted three straight shutouts. With wins over Warner University and Webber International University last week, Southeastern improved its record in conference play to a winning 3-2. SEU has an opportunity this week to make a tremendous impact on its conference standing, as it will play four conference opponents in seven days.
GAMES: Savannah College of Art and Design (6-6-1, 4-1 TSC) vs. Southeastern (6-7, 3-2 TSC) Monday 7:30 p.m. | St. Thomas University (6-5-2, 5-1-1 TSC) vs. Southeastern (6-7, 3-2 TSC) Thursday 7:30 p.m. | Florida Memorial University (4-4-1, 3-2-1 TSC) vs. Southeastern (6-7, 3-2 TSC) Saturday 7:30 p.m. | Southeastern (6-7, 3-2, TSC) vs. Ave Maria University (1-10, 0-6 TSC) Monday 3:30 p.m.
COVERAGE: SCAD-Savannah:
Watch Stats St. Thomas:
Watch Stats Florida Memorial:
Watch Stats Ave Maria:
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JONNY FUTBOL: After having not scored a goal scored through the first ten games of the season, sophomore midfielder
Jonathan Jimenez has been on a tear, netting four goals and picking up an assist in his last three games. The Cali, Colombia native is only two scores away from matching his season total in goals from 2015. His nine points recorded over this three game stretch are the most of any Fire player.
PREVIOUS SCAD: Last season, the Fire defeated the Bees 3-1.
Jonathan Jimenez picked up a score and an assist in the win while
Camilo Mejia and
Gerritson Craane found the back of the net as well. SCAD leads the all-time series 5-1-1, although the Bees have not defeated the Fire since 9/26/13.
PREVIOUS ST. THOMAS: SEU defeated St. Thomas in both the regular season and Sun Conference Tournament last season. The Fire defeated the Bobcats 3-0 in the regular season thanks to a seven save performance from goalkeeper Jorge Navarette. Southeastern then defeated St. Thomas 2-1 to win the conference tournament for the first time in program history due to a multi-goal game from
Jake Van Der Luit. The Bobcats lead the all-time series 5-3, although the Fire have won the last three contests.
PREVIOUS FLORIDA MEMORIAL: The Fire defeated the Lions 1-0 on the road last season during the stretch of 11 straight wins.
Gerritson Craane netted the lone goal of the contest. Florida Memorial leads the all-time series versus SEU 4-2. Every game between the two programs has been determined by one goal.
PREVIOUS GYRENES: Last season, SEU shutout Ave Maria 4-0.
Pedro Ivo Dias scored a pair of goals off of free kicks. The Fire lead the all-time series 10-1 and have outscored the Gyrenes 43-5 in those contests.
THE BEES: After having lost five of its first six, SCAD-Savannah has bounced back to win four of its last five on the season and currently sits third in the Sun Conference standings. During that stretch, the Bees have outscored opponents 13-5 and have notched three straight shutouts. SCAD is anchored on defense by senior goalkeeper Fernando Zeledon, who recently became the all-time leader in career shutouts in program history with 15. Zeledon is fourth in the conference in saves with 54. The Bees are coached by Tom Melville, who is entering his ninth season with the program and has guided his teams to five Conference Finals in six years.
THE BOBCATS: After having lost five of its first eight to open up the season, St. Thomas has not lost a game since September 25
th versus Thomas. The Bobcats have outscored opponents 14-5 in their last five games and currently sit fourth in the conference standings. The catalyst for the St. Thomas offense during this stretch of success has been freshman forward Pablo Gill. The Alicante, Spain native has netted five goals in his last five games and leads the team in scoring with eight goals and three assists on the season. The Bobcats are coached by Felix Mats, who is in his 11th season with the program.
THE LIONS: Florida Memorial has won three of its last four matches and currently sits right behind Southeastern in the conference standings in seventh place. The Lions rank fourth in the conference in goals allowed per game, holding opponents to an average of 1.33 scores per contest. Eleven different players have scored a goal for the Lions this season. Their leading scorer is senior midfielder Martin Lozano, who has three goals and two assists on the season. FMU is coached by Edil Pavon, who is in his first season with the program.
THE GYRENES: Ave Maria is currently riding an eight game losing streak and is seeking its first win in conference action. During the current winless streak, the Gyrenes have been shutout six times. Sophomore goalkeeper Andrea Salomone has been busy in the net for Ave Maria, ranking fifth in the conference in saves with 47 on the season. The Genoa, Italy native recently had a 12 save performance in a tough 1-0 loss to Webber International. The Gyrenes are coached by Eddie Gaven, who is in his first season with the program.
