LAKELAND, Fla. - Southeastern battled Keiser this evening in the first of many Sun Conference matchups. The game was played at a pace that seemed as if two chess players were going back and forth trying to dissect what the other was going to do. However, when it was all said and done Keiser was in the position to say "check mate."
The Fire fell to the Seahawks by 4-1 but showed glimpses of brilliance throughout the contest. Southeastern set the tone from kickoff and were rewarded in the 18th minute when
Joey Dotson broke through. A foul deep in the Seahawk zone set up a chance for the Fire.
Gustavo Rodrigues huddled around the spot of the foul and drew up a play to find Dotson waiting on the back post. Dotson guided a header off of the service from Rodrigues in the back of the net beating Seahawk's goalkeeper, Lee Clark, to the short side to put the Fire on the board 1-0.
Keiser found the equalizer on an own goal and never looked back from there. The Seahawks would go on to rattle off another goal before the Fire's next opportunity in the second half.
Rodrigues received a pass just at the top of the box and unleashed a rifling shot that required a remarkable save to be made by Clark.
The Seahawks proceeded to find a rhythm in the second half scoring three goals, two of which came between just three minutes apart late in the game.
As expected, the match proved to be intense with both teams fighting to get back on the winning track. A total of four yellow cards with distributed with three going to Keiser and one to Southeastern.
The Fire will face a double-dose of conference foes as they take on Warner and Johnson & Wales next week.
