Men's Soccer Sets Sights on SEU Invitational

LAKELAND, Fla.- After a successful start to the 2021 campaign versus NCAA Division II Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University last season with a 2-1 victory, the Southeastern University men's soccer team looks to continue making early strides with another full slate of competition. The Fire host the SEU Invitational on campus later this week.
 
MATCHES:
 
SEU Invitational:
 
Thursday | 7:30 p.m. | Southeastern (1-0) vs. Bethel (Ind.) (1-0) | SEU Soccer Complex | Lakeland, Fla.
 
Saturday | 2:30 p.m. | Southeastern (1-0) vs. RV Grace (Ind.) (2-0) | SEU Soccer Complex | Lakeland, Fla.
 
COVERAGE:
SEU Invite: Live Video   Live Stats
 
FIRE FOCUS:

• Southeastern looked impressive against Embry-Riddle last Wednesday, doubling the Eagles' shot total on frame 6-3.
• Graduate defender Ben-Avir Espinal found the net for the Fire in the 41^st minute, netting his first goal at the SEU Soccer Complex since September 3, 2018, versus Missouri Baptist. Graduate center back Reece Riggins notched what proved to be the game-winning goal for SEU in the 61^st minute, the first tally of his four-year Fire career.
• SEU is now set to continue a six-match countable homestand this weekend starting with the Southeastern Invitational, marking the longest stretch of consecutive countable home games played by the Fire since the program had the same stretch during the 2003 season.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

• This will mark just the second meeting all-time between Southeastern and Grace. The two teams tied 1-1 at a neutral site game in Columbia, S.C. on August 28, 2019. Espinal and Julian Hall both earned starts in the match for the Fire, while Jack Miller, Skylar Funk, AJ Davis, and Eric Ugarte all earned minutes.
• Thursday will mark the first ever meeting between the Southeastern Fire and the Bethel Pilots.

 
THE LANCERS:

• After going 11-8-2 and advancing to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round in 2020, Grace is off to a 2-0 start this season, scoring victories over Trinity International (3-0) and Lawrence Tech (3-1).
• Essex County College junior transfer forward Martim Cardoso is off to a torrid start for the Lancers, having found the back of the net twice in each of the first two contests for GC.
• Junior forward Ze Maria Goncalves has netted a goal and registered two assists for the Lancers thus far, after scoring four goals and dishing out eight assists to rank second on the team in points (16) last year.
• Grace is without their leading goal scorer from 2020 in Ulisses Miranda, who graduated after scoring 16 times and recording six assists.

THE PILOTS:

• Bethel is another team who competed in the 2020 NAIA Opening Round, compiling a 13-6-1 overall record last season.
• The Pilots are off to a 1-0 start on the season after earning a thrilling 1-0 result over Holy Cross last Friday.
• Senior forward Matheus Santiago picked up where he left off for Bethel in 2020, netting the game-winner versus Holy Cross in the 70^th minute. Santiago led the Pilots with 16 goals and distributed four helpers last season.
• The Pilots are looking for individuals to step up and replace the likes of Jose Barquin, who ranked second on the team last season in goals scored (14), as well as the 2020 Bethel leader in assists Tim Noeding (11).