Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – In a valiant effort that characterized the grit the Southeastern University men's soccer displayed throughout a season filled with adversity, the Fire bowed out of The Sun Conference Tournament with a 4-2 loss to the SCAD Savannah Bees in the quarterfinals.
SEU fended off a pair of scoring threats from SCAD early in the contest. Junior goalkeeper Jorge Navarrete notched a pair of saves in the 8th and 11th minutes to keep the score even.
The Fire responded with a pair of shots in the 15th and 23rdminutes from junior midfielder Jonathan Jimenez and senior forward Tauan Salgado that just missed the mark.
The Bees broke the deadlock in the 27th minute on a goal from Arthur Veiga. SCAD added another score in the 41stminute off the foot of Ewald Bugase to put the Bees up 2-0 at the half.
After trading possession back and forth throughout the second half, SCAD tallied another goal to its total in the 74th minute to go up 3-0.
At a moment where the Fire could have lowered their heads and reduced their effort, the team rallied together to play inspired soccer and shift the momentum of the match.
SEU retaliated with a pair of goals in three minutes. The first was a finish in the box by sophomore defender Joey Dotson off Tauan Salgado's deflection in the 76th minute.
Salgado netted a goal of his own in the 79th minute, as he headed in the cross from Luca DePaula Faggoti, to cut the deficit to 3-2.
A shot in the 87th minute by Dotson that would have been the equalizer was just wide of goal.
The Bees converted a late penalty kick in the 90th minute to seal the 4-2 victory.
The Fire conclude the 2017 season knowing that through a season of battling injury and various challenges, they continued to press on, lean into one another, and passionately play the game together that they love.
