LAKELAND, Fla.— After a 12 day hiatus, the Fire men's soccer team will face NCAA Division II opponent Rollins College on Saturday in an exhibition match at home.
The last time they played at home, Southeastern dropped a 3-2 double overtime thriller against Bluefield College, which moved their record to 1-3 on the year. In the game,
Jonathan Jimenez and
Grayson Wilkes both recorded their first goals of the season. Look for Jimenez, who leads the Sun Conference in assists with four, to be an essential piece of the Fire's offense going forward.
Southeastern will likely have their hands full with the Tars. Rollins, who is currently ranked 21
st in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll, is coming off of a 2-1 road win over the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II soccer, Wingate University. In the 2-1 victory, Damian Clarke provided both tallies. Clarke, the scoring leader for the Tars, netted three goals in the first two games of 2017.
The Fire and the Tars have met each of the last two seasons, with Rollins coming out on top by scores of 3-0 and 5-2, respectively. Drew Trautmann, who handles the goalkeeping responsibilities for the Tars, tallied three saves against Southeastern in 2016, while
Jorge Navarrete saved four shots against Rollins in the 2015 fixture.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
