FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University built a 2-0 lead on goals by Benjamin Kwast and David Sheridan and then held off a late Tusculum College rally to claim a 2-1 win, Wednesday evening (Sept. 17) in non-conference men’s soccer action.

Francis Marion improves to 4-1-0 and will embark on a four-match road swing beginning next Wednesday at the University of Mount Olive.  Tusculum, playing its first road match of 2014, falls to 2-2-0.

Kwast, a graduate student, gave FMU a 1-0 advantage at the 7:57 mark with a 10-yard rebound shot.  Junior midfielder Sven Ricke hit a hard shot from the right side of the penalty area that Tusculum sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Elsey stopped but could not corral.  The ball squirted to Kwast who then tallied his second score of 2014 and his fifth in two years as a Patriot. 

With only a combined eight shots over the opening 45 minutes, the first half ended with the 1-0 score.

Sheridan doubled the Patriot advantage in the 72nd minute when he headed in a free kick from Ricke. The two helpers were Ricke’s fourth and fifth assists of the young season.

Tusculum answered only 42 seconds later as Tyler Linkous feed a through ball to Pablo Laguna who slotted in a 13-yard shot.

The Pioneers did register four more shots following the goal, one of which required a save by FMU sophomore goalkeeper Mike Warn, but could not equalize.  A header by Guillermo Lazcano off a free kick skimmed off and over the crossbar in the 83rd minute.

Following an FMU foul less than a yard outside the penalty area at 85:03, Tusculum earned a free kick, but Roberto Pimental’s attempt bounced off the Patriot defensive wall.  Warn also punched out a dangerous free kick by Pimental in the 87th minute.

Tusculum outshot Francis Marion 11-9, although the Patriots held a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.  Warn recorded two saves, while pushing his career record to 5-1-0.  Elsey made three saves.

The match drew a Sea of Red crowd of 413 to Hartzler Field, one of the largest home gatherings in the past 20 years.

Francis Marion Univ. (4-1-0) def. Tusculum College (2-2-0) 2-1
Date: Sep 17, 2014  Attendance: 413
Weather: Cloudy, 79 degrees, Winds NW @ 5 mph

Goals by period          1  2  Tot
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Tusculum College....  0  1 -  1
Francis Marion Univ.  1  1 -  2
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.   7:57 FMU Benjamin Kwast (2) (Sven Ricke) - Rebound goal from 10 yards out off GK save
1-1.  71:26 FMU David Sheridan (2) (Sven Ricke) - Header flick on (4 yards out) on free kick by Ricke
2-1.  72:08 TCM Pablo Laguna (1) (Tyler Linkous) - through ball, 13 yard shot from straight

Shots: Tusculum College 11, Francis Marion Univ. 9 ;  Saves: Tusculum College 3 (Ashley Elsey 3), Francis Marion Univ. 2  (Mike Warn 2)

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