On Thursday night, the FGCU men’s soccer team returned home from their west-coast trip with a 2-1 win over San Francisco to notch their first home win of the season.
“It was a good win,” FGCU Head coach Bob Butehorn said. “It was a really difficult game but I knew it was going to be a difficult game because coming back from the west coast we were really heavy legged. I’m pleased that they battled but we showed some signs of immaturity that we need to improve for the next one.”
As both teams exchanged corner kicks in the early going, Dennis Zapata had a great chance to give the Eagles the lead 10 minutes in, but his shot went wide.
13 minutes later, Miguel Jaime put the first shot on goal for the Eagles but his shot was met by the Dons’ number one, Andre Glasnovic.
Just two minutes after Jaime’s shot on goal, Caleb George and Robert Ferrer played a give-and- go down the left side, where George crossed the ball to Dylan Sacramento who put away the first goal of the game and his second of the year.
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“I have had a lot of shots this year and I need to be more efficient,” Sacramento said. “I got a little tap in which is my favorite kind of goal because it’s the easy one.”
In the 30th minute, a free kick crossed in by Sacramento landed Thomas Delplace’s head, but his attempt on goal hit the crossbar, nearly giving FGCU a 2-0 lead.
As the first half came to a close, FGCU led the way in shots. The Eagles’ backline kept goalkeeper Sawyer Jackman’s first half stagnant, not allowing the Dons a single shot on goal.
After the half, Jackman was tested early by San Francisco but Jackman was able to maintain the Eagles’ clean sheet.
Midway through the second half, the FGCU defense kept their form by clearing all of the Dons’ chances.
70 minutes in, Glasnovic saved two of the shots on goal, but Albert Ruiz got the ball on his right foot after the second save, poking the ball into the goal to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
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“In the first half, we should’ve been up two or three to zero.” Ruiz said. “We said we needed to score a goal early in the second half and that’s what we did.”
Seven minutes after Ruiz’s fourth goal of the year, San Francisco’s David Garrett punched a cross from Christian De Luna in the back of the net to cut FGCU’s lead to one.
After a very physical, hard-fought last 10 minutes, FGCU maintained the lead, earning a 2-1 win to mark their first home win of the year.