SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The FGCU men’s soccer team suffered its first conference loss of the season on Saturday night as the Eagles (6-5-2, 3-1-1 ASUN) fell to host USC Upstate (3-9-2, 1-4-0 ASUN) by a score of 2-1.

 

With the setback, FGCU cannot win the ASUN regular-season title or post the No. 1 seed in next month’s ASUN Tournament. That honor will go to either Stetson (4-0-2, 14 points) or NJIT (3-1-0, 9 points) as the Hatters have already concluded their conference slate for the year and the Highlanders still have two games remaining.

 

FGCU can still secure a bye and advance to the semifinals automatically by defeating visiting NJIT (8-6-2 overall) next Saturday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m.

 

If FGCU defeats NJIT – which hosts North Florida (1-9-0, 0-3-0 ASUN) Sunday at 1 p.m. – the Eagles will have 13 points, enough to jump the Highlanders regardless of their outcome versus the Ospreys on Sunday.

 

With that result, FGCU will earn the No. 2 seed in the ASUN Tournament – a position in which the Eagles won the title from just a year ago (the only other season in the previous eight years they have not claimed the regular-season crown).

 

On Saturday against USC Upstate, FGCU opened the scoring with a goal from Dennis Zapata, but uncharacteristically gave the lead away with a pair of concessions later in the 1st half.

 

The setback marked the first time in program history that the Green and Blue has lost to Upstate in the regular season. FGCU is now 9-2-1 all-time versus the Spartans. Furthermore, it’s the first time Upstate has scored against the Eagles in the regular season since a 2-2 tie in the 2008 campaign.

 

“The better team won tonight,” stated FGCU head coach Jesse Cormier. “We didn’t give enough tonight, and we paid for it. We only have ourselves to blame.

 

“We have to be willing to change in order to be successful, not only in the upcoming ASUN Tournament but hopefully the NCAA Tournament,” Cormier continued. “We are certainly more than capable of doing that, but we have to raise our level of competitiveness – we need to win 50-50 balls, transition forward and backward and get more dynamic in our attack. We as a team need to demand a level of excellence that we don’t have right now.”

 

The Green and Blue took a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute as Zapata (Orlando, Fla./University HS) delivered his third goal of the season. The junior midfielder got inside his marker and finished a build-up from senior Dylan Sacramento (Winnipeg, Manitoba/York University/Bill Crothers S.S.).

 

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Spartans responded with a goal of their own just two minutes later as Calon Minors finished a Cam Philpot pass to knot the match at 1-1. The Spartans took a 2-1 lead into the halftime break when Hamilton Gmah scored off a rebound with just five seconds remaining in the 1st half. FGCU goalkeeper Connor Gavigan (Aurora, Colo./Creighton/Grandview HS) made the initial save of Daniel Perry, but Gmah pounced on the rebound.

 

That was all the Spartans needed as they handed FGCU just its sixth ASUN loss since the start of the 2010 season (43-6-6). Out of a possible 165 points that could have been earned in that time, the Green and Blue have still claimed an impressive 135 of them.

 

The goals allowed by the Eagles to the Spartans also marked the first surrendered by FGCU all conference season during the normal run of play. FGCU’s only other goal allowed this league campaign came off a penalty kick at Stetson last Saturday.

 

FGCU will remain on the road for an NCAA Tournament rematch with rival USF in Tampa on Tuesday night, Oct. 24, at 7. The Eagles – who will be facing former head coach Bob Butehorn – took down the Bulls in penalty kicks last year to advance to the Second Round for the first time in program history.

 

IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.

 

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.

 

HEAD COACH JESSE CORMIER

Jesse Cormier was hired in January 2017 to become just the 2nd head coach in program history. The head coach at Vermont for the previous 13 seasons, Cormier won 14 games with the Catamounts in 2016 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. During his time with Vermont, Cormier guided the program to the America East Tournament in 12 of 13 seasons, making five title game appearances, winning two tournament crowns, claiming a regular-season championship and advancing to three NCAA tournaments, including a pair of Second Round appearances. Cormier has a 120-94-49 (.549 winning percentage) overall record as a head coach.

 

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.