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Florida International earns automatic NCAA berth, conference title with 2-1
win over Hartwick
Playing in the most important game of the season, the FIU men's soccer team came out ready to play Saturday afternoon at University Park, scoring a goal in the early minutes, and holding on for a 2-1 victory over conference foe Hartwick. With the win, the Golden Panthers clinched the Atlantic Soccer Conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Coming into the game, Hartwick held the overall lead in the conference by virtue of their 4-0 league record, meaning FIU, with their 3-0-1 record, needed a victory Sunday to win the conference title and the automatic berth which goes with it. As it turned out, FIU was up to the challenge. The Golden Panthers' first goal, a header from senior forward Matias Asorey in the twelfth minute, came while the Golden Panthers were forced to play a man down. Sophomore defender Bobby Boswell had been given a red card 3 minutes earlier, giving the Hawks the man advantage. But a quick cross off a free kick from junior midfielder John Pulido to Asorey gave FIU an early lead, which they never relinquished. FIU might have been forced to hold on to the skim lead a man down the entire game, if not for an additional red card given out to Hartwick midfielder Kevin Saunders in the thirty-seventh minute. The penalty, which occurred on the edge of the penalty box, prevented a breakaway goal for FIU and narrowly missed turning into a penalty kick opportunity for the Golden Panthers. The resulting free kick was cleared by the Hawks. Needing a goal to pad their lead, the Golden Panthers got one in the seventy-second minute from Asorey, his second of the match. On the play, senior defender Juan Rivera kicked a long ball down the west sideline to sophomore forward Oscar Gil, who promptly crossed the ball to Asorey. Asorey then forced Hawk goalkeeper Randall Moate to commit, before lobbing a shot over his head into the far corner of the goal. Drama was provided in the closing minutes by an own goal from FIU. Hartwick forward Rob Catana launched a corner kick into the box, which deflected off of FIU midfielder Adam Wilson into his own goal in the eighty-sixth minute. But that was as close as the Hawks (9-7-2, 4-1-0) would come, as the Golden Panthers (10-4-1, 4-0-1) closed out the match and extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games. FIU next hosts Mercer in the home finale on Friday, Nov. 8, at 7:00 p.m. at University Park. For ticket information, call 1-866-FIU-GAME. " | ||
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