Men's Soccer | 10/19/2017 6:00:00 PM
LAKELAND, Fla.—After dropping their match against nationally ranked St. Thomas, Southeastern will try to capitalize on their opportunities in a game against Florida Memorial on Saturday.
The Fire saw their four game winning streak come to an end in their last competition, a 3-0 loss to conference-leading # 15 St. Thomas; however, Southeastern seems to have found their stride as the team heads into the final quarter of the season.
The Fire have had recent success off of set pieces, most of which are taken by
Gustavo Rodrigues. In their 4-0 defeat of Webber last week, Rodrigues assisted on two tallies, including a beautifully lofted free kick into the box that was guided home by the head of
Tauan Salgado, to bring his conference-high assist total to six. The senior midfielder from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ranks 20
th in the country in assists per game (.6), while Salgado leads the team in goals with five.
Jorge Navarrete should handle the responsibilities in goal for the Fire. After recording four saves in a shutout against Webber, Navarrete stepped up to block five shots in the match versus St. Thomas. The junior averages 4.67 stops per game, while giving up a mere 1.45 goals per contest.
Florida Memorial comes into their match with the Fire winless in conference play. The Lions, who have struggled to find the back of the net, have only beaten opposing keepers six times this season.
In their most recent competition, Florida Memorial scored three second half goals against Ave Maria. Ivan Jelic played an important role in the Lions' attempted comeback, as he tallied two goals in a five minute span and added an assist in the 5-3 defeat.
Gabriel Mateucci should be busy in net for the Lions. The goalkeeper, who ranks 13
th in the country in saves per game, averages 6.75 stops per contest. In Florida Memorial's match against St. Thomas early this season, he blocked a career-high 11 shots.
Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Miami Gardens.
