GREENWOOD, SC – Freshman goalkeeper Jonathan Mannes registered 11 saves, including stopping a second-half penalty kick, and Francis Marion University managed a 1-1 tie with 13th-ranked Lander University, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 31) in Peach Belt Conference men’s soccer action.

The road deadlock gives Francis Marion (10-4-2 overall, 5-3-1 in the PBC) the single point it needed to secure fourth place in the final conference standings and the accompanying first-round tournament home match.  FMU will host fifth-seeded USC Aiken on Tuesday at 7 p.m.  The tournament semifinals and finals will be played in Evans, Ga., on Nov. 6 and 8 respectively.

Mannes’ save total was only one shy of his career high set earlier this year on the road at nationally ranked Young Harris College.

Sophomore midfielder Harrison Smith gave Francis Marion a 1-0 advantage at the 7:06 mark thanks to assists from freshman Sindre Traaseth and senior Sven Ricke.  It was Smith’s sixth tally of the season, while Ricke’s assist was his 13th of 2015, tying the FMU single-season mark set by Vince Myers in 1978.

Despite being outshot 29-11, Francis Marion held that lead for nearly the remainder of regulation.  The Bearcats (12-2-1, 6-2-1) also led in corner kicks 9-5.

Mannes made his penalty kick save at the 84:40 mark, denying Lander’s Jaime North.  However the Bearcats finally found the equalizer off the head of Russell Parker with 1:45 remaining.

Smith had a chance to win the match with 31 seconds left, but his effort was wide.  In the first 10-minute extra period, two Patriots – Gael Mabiala and Smith – put shots on frame, but Lander goalkeeper Barrett Nielsen recorded saves on both attempts.  Neither team recorded a shot in the second overtime period, although the Patriots did earn three corner kicks.

Smith led FMU with four shots, while Mabiala had three and freshman forward Levin Sandmann 2.

Nielsen finished with three saves.

It is only the fourth tie in the long 48-match series with Lander that stretches back to 1981.

 

Francis Marion Univ. (10-4-2, 5-3-1 PBC) tied #13 Lander (12-2-1, 6-2-1 PBC) 1-1

Date: Oct 31, 2015  Attendance: 375

Weather: Partly cloudy, 60's

Goals by period           1  2 OT O2  Tot

--------------------------------------------------------

Francis Marion Univ.    1  0  0  0 -  1

Lander..............          0  1  0  0 -  1

SCORING SUMMARY:

1-0.   7:06 FMU Harrison Smith (6) (Sindre Traaseth;Sven Ricke) - in front of goal

1-1.  88:15 LU-M Russell Parker (2) (Oliver Brock) - to right of goal

Shots: Francis Marion Univ. 11, Lander 29 ; Saves: Francis Marion Univ. 11 (Jonathan Mannes 11), Lander 3 (Barrett  Nielsen 3)