FORT MYERS, Fla. – It took the country’s top-scoring offense just three minutes to score Friday night, and the #12 FGCU men’s soccer team (10-2-1, 2-0-0 ASUN) rolled from there to a dominant 6-0 victory over league foe Stetson (3-7-2, 1-3-0 ASUN) to stretch its nation-best winning streak to 10 in a row.

The Eagles entered the match with by far the nation’s highest-scoring offense and put that potent attack on display all evening as FGCU had five different goal scorers: Arion Sobers-Assue (2), Albert Ruiz, Jiro Barriga Toyama, Miguel Jaime and Miguel Perez.

Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain/ CE L’Hospitalet/UE Cornella) assisted on Sobers-Assue’s (Miami, Fla./DeMatha Catholic HS) game-winner, setting the program record for career points. That helper gave the junior 44 for his career, but he finished the evening with four points and his 20th career goal to also set the program record in that category as well.

Sophomore goalkeeper Sawyer Jackman (Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East HS) picked up his second shutout of the year as he made four saves.

The 6-0 rout is tied for the largest shutout in program history along with the season finale in 2010 versus North Florida. It’s incredibly the second time this year the Eagles have scored six goals in a game, and the fourth contest in which the Green and Blue’s relentless attack has netted five or more.

The Eagles continue their program-record winning streak as the double-figure run is two better than #1 Maryland for the best in the nation. In the last eight games, FGCU has scored at least three goals every match and totaled 36 over that stretch for a stalwart average of 4.5 per game.

“We simply wanted to take the next step in our season tonight,” surmised head coach Bob Butehorn, who claimed his 125th career victory and 50th ASUN win. “And that next step was Stetson, so we didn’t want our guys focusing on anything other than that. I really wanted to send a message. We needed to make sure that the conference knew we were for real. Hopefully we can continue that pace.”

The most lethal offense in the country wasted little time is flexing its muscle as Sobers-Assue converted early. The Green and Blue applied significant pressure and maintained most of the game’s opening possession and were quickly rewarded with Sobers-Assue’s strike. The redshirt sophomore and teammate Robert Ferrer (Barcelona, Spain/Brevard College/IES Calmot) were both battling a Stetson defender in the box for the ball, but the striker emerged victorious and then slid a shot underneath charging Stetson goalkeeper Paul Ladwig.

After the Eagles dominated possession through the opening 25 minutes, Stetson had a brief flurry in which it attempted three shots in five minutes, but Jackman was equal to the task for the two on frame and then the FGCU offense kicked into another gear.

In the 34th minute off a Stetson goal kick which FGCU won unchallenged, Ruiz found space in the middle of the pitch and played a ball near the top of the box to Sobers-Assue. He then delivered a square ball to Jaime (Denver, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), who finished his second goal of the campaign.

Just less than seven minutes later, Ruiz played a ball across the goal mouth to Barriga Toyama (Chiba, Japan/Barton CC/Chibakennrituoihama HS). The junior transfer – who had made two similar moves earlier in the half only to have his efforts saved – would not be denied this time. He first settled the ball with his left foot and moved past a Stetson defender after crossing over to his right. With Ladwig charging and sliding at the near post, Barriga Toyama again went from left to right to navigate the goalkeeper and finished a one-timed effort with his right foot from a tight angle.

The 3-0 halftime lead quickly ballooned to 5-0 in a span of just 79 seconds as Sobers-Assue finished his second of the night and 10th of the year at the 50:16 after a flicked pass up the middle of the pitch by Ruiz. Ruiz then converted his record-setting goal at the 51:35 mark on a penalty kick after being taken down in the box.

The Eagles wrapped up their scoring in the 88th minute when freshman Perez (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay HS) tallied his second goal of the season. A long ball from the back by Jahan Rajaee (Gainesville, Fla./F.W. Buchholz HS) was played perfectly on to Perez’s run, and he didn’t miss his second shot on frame of the evening as he delivered his effort past Ladwig, who entered the match as the ASUN’s save leader and still made eight more stops on the night.

The victory extends the longest home conference regular-season unbeaten streak in the nation as FGCU is now unbeaten in 29 straight (26-0-3). The Eagles have not lost a home ASUN regular-season game in nearly eight years, dating back to a 2-0 defeat against Jacksonville in October of 2008 – the program’s second season.

FGCU now trails just Denver and North Carolina for the most wins in the nation with 11 each. It’s the first time the Eagles have secured double-figure victories since the 2012 season when they had 11, and trail the 2010 squad’s 13 wins for the most all-time.

The triumph also continues the Eagles’ dominance of the ASUN as they now own a 38-4-4 record in all ASUN regular-season games since the start of the 2010 season. Out of a possible 138 points that could have been earned in that time, the Green and Blue have claimed an impressive 118 of them (85.5 percent) en route to an unprecedented six-straight ASUN regular-season titles.

FGCU expands on its single-season program record with 44 goals on the year and still four regular-season games remaining. Entering the match, no other team in the nation even had 30 goals this year. The Eagles surpassed their single-season program record for points with a 16-point evening for 122 on the year (previous mark: 106). Entering the game, no other team in the nation even had 100 points.

The six goals are tied for the 2nd-most in single-game program history, matching the aforementioned performance at Rutgers on Sept. 27 and the clean sheet versus the Ospreys on Oct. 31, 2010. The program record is seven goals in a game opposite UNF on Oct. 17, 2008.

Ruiz now sits alone atop the program’s career points ledger with 47 (previous: 43, Cristian Raudales) and goals with 20 (previous: 19, Raudales). He continues to grow his single-season program records in both categories as he now has 29 points and 12 goals. The previous marks were 17 and seven, respectively. If not for Ruiz, Sobers-Assue would have the single-season program records in those categories as he now has 23 points on the campaign and 10 goals.

The duo and the rest of the Eagles will look to continue their torrid form when FGCU’s four-game homestand resumes with a marquee showdown against North Florida (6-3-1, 2-0-0 ASUN) on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. The Ospreys were tabbed for a 2nd-place finish in the league’s preseason poll – just four points behind the Eagles – and with two 1st-place votes had the same as FGCU and Lipscomb.

UNF scored a double-overtime winner against cross-city rival Jacksonville Friday night for a 1-0 victory. Because of an unbalanced league schedule to this point of the year, the Eagles and Ospreys sit tied atop the ASUN table with 6 points each as the only unbeaten clubs in conference play. NJIT and Lipscomb also have 6 points, but have played three and four matches, respectively.

TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are available for all remaining home games. More information, including special discounts and group rates, can be accessed by visiting FGCUTickets.com. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or log on to FGCUTickets.com.

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 six professional players and 54 ASUN All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just five years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to three ASUN Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012 and 2014 – and has won an unprecedented six-straight ASUN regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets. Now in his 14th season as a head coach, Butehorn has a 125-92-26 (.568) overall record, 91-60-22 (.590) mark in his 10th season at FGCU and 50-17-6 (.726) record in ASUN 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.