FORT MYERS, Fla. – Despite a 4th-minute penalty-kick goal from Isaiah Madrid and a go-ahead strike in the 77th minute from Nicolas Samayoa, the FGCU men’s soccer team (5-5-4, 3-0-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) settled for a 2-2 tie against visiting North Florida (5-5-1, 2-2-1 A-Sun) Friday night at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

FGCU – which entered the night with the nation’s 22nd-best defense and a 0.72 goals-against average – looked poised to complete its second-straight shutout, but UNF scored twice in a six-minute span late in the second half. The first goal in the 72nd minute tied the contest at 1-1, and the second in the 78th minute came not even 50 seconds after FGCU had taken the lead as it knotted the match again, 2-2.

The fast start was created in nearly exactly the same fashion as FGCU’s last game ended – with Santiago Echeverri (Medellin, Colombia/Celebration HS) drawing a hand ball in the box on a shot. However, instead of Henry Penagos (Margate, Fla./American Heritage School of Boca/Delray) taking the PK, it was Madrid (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado HS/Westminster), who fired his attempt almost directly into the center of the net.

After the quick beginning, UNF eventually settled in, but a late first half and early second-half flurry from the Eagles had the Ospreys on their heels for a good chunk of time. Starting with substitute David Robledo (Dallas, Texas/Hillcrest HS) entering the match in the 38th minute and continuing through the 58th minute, FGCU had nine unanswered shot attempts in the 20-minute span to build a shot edge of 12-3 at that time.

Once the Robledo substitution happened, FGCU really amped up its pressure with its midfielders and forwards, minimizing the time the UNF defenders had to move the ball and maximizing the turnovers by turning them into quality scoring chances.

However, UNF eventually countered, and on a poor tackle in the box by Samayoa (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Colegio Valle Verde) the freshman defender gave UNF a penalty kick, which leading scorer Helge Pietschmann converted to tie the game.

But nearly exactly five minutes later Samayoa made up for his error as he scored his first career goal which appeared would be the game-winner off a corner kick. Fellow defender Skylar Wilks (Tampa, Fla./Newsome HS) took the corner as he went short with it to Madrid, who fed a pass perfectly through a sea of defenders and onto the foot of Samayoa, who beat keeper Kyle Nasia from about six yards out as Wilks and Madrid were credited with assists on the strike.

The furious six-minute stretch came to a close only 48 seconds after Samayoa’s goal as UNF took the ensuing kickoff and immediately locked FGCU in its end and earned a corner. That corner was taken by Camilo Garcia as he sent a ball onto the head of Diogo Quirino, who re-directed it inside the left corner of the frame.

“We got off to a fast start and wanted to get off to a fast start, and then UNF had a system of play that was throwing us a little bit of a curve where they overloaded the midfield and we just had to make an adjustment. Once we did that the game kind of settled down,” said head coach Bob Butehorn. “We started to get some more chances once that happened, but overall North Florida played a good game coming in here against us.”

For the game, FGCU out-shot UNF, 24-10, and had an 8-3 edge in corners – including a 6-2 advantage in the second half. Goalkeeper Nathan Ingham (Keswick, Ontario/Keswick HS) allowed just two goals for the third time this year as he made one stop compared with the five UNF keeper Kyle Nasta was forced to make. Looking closer at the goals FGCU has allowed this year, only three of the 12 have come in the regular run of play. The other nine have come in the form of an own goal, set-piece strike, three penalty kicks and four corners.

Despite the tie, FGCU extends the nation’s longest home regular-season unbeaten streak against league opponents to an incredible 25 in a row. The Eagles, 22-0-3 in that stretch, have not lost a regular season home A-Sun game since Oct. 19, 2008 – a run of 2,195 days.

The tie gives the Eagles 10 points on the year, dropping them to from a tie for first in the A-Sun standings entering the contest to second place, two points behind Stetson (4-1, 12 points). However, FGCU still controls its own destiny as it seeks a record fifth-straight A-Sun regular-season championship.

The Green and Blue is the only team in the conference that can still reach 16 points as it has two league matches remaining, and if it wins both it will clinch the No. 1 seed and hosting responsibilities for the A-Sun Championship Nov. 12-16. Several other scenarios exist in which the Eagles don’t need to win each of their final two A-Sun games and still claim the league title, but two victories guarantees them that crown.

The tie was the first in series history as FGCU entered the contest with a 7-1 all-time mark against the Ospreys. The first loss came in the A-Sun Championship semifinal last year as UNF claimed a 2-1 win to end the Eagles’ season. Overall, the Eagles have out-scored the Ospreys 25-3 in their seven wins, and 28-7 in the nine all-time meetings.

FGCU now has an incredible overall record of 31-3-3 in all A-Sun regular-season games since the start of the 2010 season. All three of those conference losses have come on the road, and out of a possible 111 points that could have been earned in that time, the Eagles have claimed an impressive 96 of them.

Looking closer at the A-Sun standings, FGCU owns a 1-0 head-to-head victory over Stetson this year, so if the teams ended the season tied the Eagles would win the tiebreaker. UNF is now tied with Lipscomb (2-1-1) for third place with seven points, while Jacksonville is 1-3 with three points and in fifth place.

FGCU’s record-setting attendance year continued Friday as 632 fans were on hand. The Eagles have already far-surpassed their previous single-season home attendance record (4,955 in 2011) as now 6,672 spectators have flocked to The Nest this year with still at least one home contest remaining.

FGCU will have more than a week off before returning to action at league foe, and Preseason A-Sun Co-Favorite Lipscomb, next Saturday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. (7 Central). The match will be the final road conference test of the year for the Eagles, who will then play their final road game at UCF on Tuesday, Oct. 4. FGCU is back in action for the regular-season finale at the FGCU Soccer Complex in two weeks on Saturday, Nov. 8.

GAME NOTES: Pink FGCU T-shirts were available for purchase as all proceeds went to support the American Cancer Society … if at least $2,500 is donated before FGCU’s regular-season finale, all men’s soccer team members will shave their heads for the A-Sun Championship next month … the game was presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and Surety Construction … Madrid led FGCU with five shots, while substitute Arion Sobers-Assue added four in 62 minutes … five FGCU players logged all 110 minutes … nine yellow cards were handed out: five to UNF and four to FGCU.

FOLLOW ALONG
For men’s soccer ticket information, visit the Alico Arena Ticket Office, call 239-590-7145 or log on to FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets. For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer and Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer.

COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached 30 A-Sun All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just three years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to the NCAA Tournament twice – in 2011 and 2012 – and has won an unprecedented four-straight A-Sun regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets, and in 2013 he won his 100th career game.

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.