ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Men's Soccer opened the 2026 season the right way, earning a convincing 2-0 road victory over NCAA DII Eckerd College Saturday night at Johnson Field.
The Fire weathered pressure the Eckerd offense throughout the opening half, with Tritons holding an 8-3 advantage in shots. Goalkeeper Noah Murray-Hawkins kept the match scoreless with three impressive saves as the two sides went into half knotted at zero.
More opportunities were created by the Fire offense after the break and finally broke through in the 67th minute. Tapiwa Kufakurowa, who entered the match as a second-half substitute, finished a combination from Pablo Lobon and Lennard Schneider into the bottom-left corner off a keeper deflection to give the Fire a 1-0 advantage.
The Fire doubled the lead in the 80th minute on a quick transition from the goal keeper Murray-Hawkins. The keeper sent a long goal kick downfield that got behind the final line and came to Koren Klein, who allowed it to bounce before chipping the Eckerd goalkeeper for his first goal in a Fire outfit.
Murray-Hawkins finished the night with five saves to record the clean sheet while also picking up the assist on Klein's goal. The Fire midfield dominated, and Kufakurowa's goal stood as the game-winner as Southeastern improved to 1-0 on the season. Giving head coach Gabriel Sitibaldi his first career win at Southeastern.
The Fire finished with 11 shots, including eight in the second half, while holding Eckerd scoreless despite 12 attempts.
NEXT UP:
The Fire will host Florida Memorial next, August 26, at 7 p.m. on the SEU Soccer Field.
