FORT MYERS, Fla. – In a back-and-forth game which featured seven goals, 4th-seeded USC Upstate (7-6-1) converted the final strike in overtime on Saturday night to eliminate top-seeded FGCU (7-4-3) from the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Championship, 4-3.

FGCU went ahead on three separate occasions, but each time the Spartans had an answer, including twice in the final 20 minutes of regulation on the Eagles’ top-15 nationally-ranked defense. The game-winner came off the foot of Michelangelo Dovidio in 97th minute as his shot from near the top of the box – which was set up by A-Sun Freshman of the Year Gordon Wild – took a deflection and beat A-Sun Goalkeeper of the Year Nathan Ingham.

The Spartans advance to the A-Sun Championship Final at 2nd-seeded North Florida next Saturday, Nov. 14, as the Ospreys defeated 3rd-seeded Lipscomb in the 109th minute off a saved penalty kick which was headed in.

As for FGCU, the Eagles will officially learn their postseason fate next Monday, Nov. 16, when the NCAA Selection Show takes place at 1 p.m. The Eagles entered the match with an official RPI of 31, and while unlikely they receive an at-large berth to the 48-team tournament, the club has put itself in a position to potentially warrant an invite.

“I give a lot of credit to Upstate. They were playing so inspired. They had an answer for everything that we threw at them. I couldn’t be happier for a group of guys that aren’t mine. They’ve been through a lot this year, and it’s a reflection of some good kids and the need for something good to happen,” said FGCU head coach Bob Butehorn.

On Oct. 11, two members of the Upstate team were tragically killed in a single-car accident. Four student-athletes in total died in the crash, with the women’s tennis team and men’s cross country team also losing members.

FGCU took leads in the 11th minute off a goal from Skylar Wilks, in the 67th minute off a goal from Albert Ruiz and in the 80th minute off a goal from David Robledo, but the Spartans responded each time. Upstate reached the semifinal by defeating 5th-seeded Jacksonville on Thursday in overtime as well, 3-2, as the Spartans used an equalizer in the 82nd minute and the game-winner in the 98th minute to propel them to their first-ever semifinal appearance.

It’s just the third time in the program’s 161 matches that FGCU has scored three goals and lost – with the other such occurrences coming in the inaugural 2007 campaign against former league member Gardner-Webb and in 2013 versus FIU. It’s also only the eighth time the Eagles have ever allowed four or more goals in a contest, with three of those coming in their first season. The seven total goals in the game are tied for the second-most in program history behind only eight which were posted as part of a 7-1 victory over North Florida in 2008.

FGCU finished the game with a 17-10 shot advantage, with six of the Spartans’ shots being put on frame. Ingham (Kewsick, Ontario/Keswick HS) made two saves, but didn’t even have a chance on the other four as they were perfectly placed or deflected into the back of the net.

Entering the match, FGCU had shut out Upstate each of the previous seven meetings as the Eagles – who won in Spartanburg two weeks ago, 4-0 – hadn’t allowed the Spartans to score since the 2008 season. In that meeting, Upstate produced its only two goals ever against FGCU in a 2-2 draw – a total which was doubled on Saturday night.

The first great opportunity of the evening for either team came in the 5th minute on a Dylan Sacramento (Winnipeg, Manitoba/York University) thru ball to Wilks (Tampa, Fla./Newsome HS), who got behind the Upstate defense and slid his shot just inches to the right of the post. Minutes later, the same exact setup transpired and Sacramento was credited with the lone assist on Wilks’ fifth goal of the year as he beat an Upstate defender, took one touch and pushed his shot past Hassan Haddad low and to his right.

The Eagles kept the pressure up and had several more great opportunities to add to their lead in the following minutes, but Haddad made a pair of point-blank saves – the first on a shot by Miguel Jaime (Denver, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) following a quick restart and the second coming off a Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain/UE Cornella/CE L’Hospitalet) header which was set up in brilliant fashion from a cross by Wilks and header back into the box by Aaron Guillen (El Paso, Texas/Coronado HS).

Those missed opportunities came back to hurt the Eagles, as in the 27th minute an Upstate cross was deflected back to the top of the box and perfectly onto the foot of Lukas Sommer, who tied the match. The sophomore defender one-timed his shot into a wide open net as Ingham had come off his line to defend the entry pass.

The two sides hit the break knotted at 1-1 despite FGCU holding a 10-3 shot advantage – four which were on frame – and a 3-1 edge in corners. Sacramento – who started in the midfield – was active in the center of the pitch setting up plays and pressing the issue on his own as he also had three shots, one which just went over the crossbar, in addition to setting up the Wilks’ strike.

Sacramento opened the second half by again testing Haddad as his shot in the 52nd minute from long range was deflected but skidded on the wet, natural surface following heavy rain early in the match, forcing the Upstate keeper into a diving stop.

After about 15 minutes of action mostly in the middle third of the pitch, the Eagles broke the deadlock with a clinical setup in the 67th minute. Making a run up the left side, Guillen received a ball and immediately played it back to Wilks. Wilks one-timed his left-footed cross and curved it perfectly onto the foot of Ruiz about three yards off the goal line, and the sophomore striker delivered his own one-timed effort into the back of the net.

That goal for Ruiz – which tied the FGCU single-season program record for goals with his seventh – was answered six minutes later when the nation’s leading goal scorer, Wild, got free on a ball over the top of the FGCU backline and beat Ingham short side from about 18 yards out for his 16th strike of the season.

However, the Eagles responded eight minutes later when Ruiz sent a ball from the left wing into the box. His cross was punched out by Haddad, but directly onto the chest of Robledo (Dallas, Texas/ Hillcrest HS), who was no more than a couple feet from Haddad, and the ball careened into the net to put the Green and Blue back in front, 3-2.

That goal appeared it would stand up, as the Eagles – who entered with the nation’s 12th-best goals against average at 0.66 – hadn’t allowed three goals in a game all year. But perhaps a team of destiny, Upstate again found the equalizer as a ball ended up bouncing to Leon Schwarzer in the 87th minute, and the A-Sun First Team member rifled a shot into the roof of the net just under the crossbar from 20 yards to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, Upstate had the better of the chances and eventually converted on its third shot of the extra session following a reset off a corner.

The loss is the first in program history to USC Upstate as FGCU is now 8-1-1 in 10 all-time meetings. It’s also just the second setback in program history in the A-Sun Championship as the Eagles were previously 6-1-1 and had three of the four tournament titles they had been eligible to win. The only other loss also came at home in the semifinals as the No. 1 seed in 2013 against North Florida.

The Eagles earned the No. 1 seed in the A-Sun Championship by virtue of a 4-0-1 A-Sun regular-season record as they claimed a share of an unprecedented sixth-straight league regular-season title.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men’s soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer, Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer, Facebook /FGCUMSoccer and YouTube /FGCUAthletics.

COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached 54 A-Sun All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just four years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to three A-Sun Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012 and 2014 – and has won an unprecedented six-straight A-Sun regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets. Now in his 13th season as a head coach, Butehorn has a 115-91-25 (.552) overall record, 81-59-21 (.568) mark in his 9th season at FGCU and 48-17-6 (.718) record in A-Sun contests.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.