Ave Maria, Fla. – The Southeastern men's soccer team earned a gutsy win over the Ave Maria University Gyrenes 1-0. With the win, the Fire clinched a berth in the Sun Conference Tournament.
The first half was a defensive struggle between both the teams. The Fire outshot the Gyrenes 5-2, including two shots on goal, but were not able to convert any of those opportunities into goals. SEU went into the half tied 0-0 with Ave Maria.
The Fire continued to create scoring opportunities at the beginning of the second half, outshooting the Gyrenes 5-0 in the first 23 minutes of play. However, SEU continued to struggle finishing its opportunities and the match remained scoreless going into the later minutes.
The SEU men have come accustomed to late game dramatics this season, and tonight proved to be no different. In the 83
rd minute, redshirt senior midfielder
Tyler Gay recovered a loose ball in the box and netted the game winning goal for the Fire. The score was Gay's second of the season.
"Our guys were poised and in control. We knew the goal was going to come, it was just a matter of who was going to kick it through," commented Head Coach
Clay Roberts.
This was the second consecutive 1-0 victory for the Fire, and the fourth time this season the men have scored a game winning goal in the 83
rd minute or later.
The Fire will appear in the Sun Conference Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. SEU will wait to find out who its first opponent will be and where the game will played.
