GREENEVILLE, TN - Sophomore Lukas Poussett converted a penalty kick only 24 seconds into overtime to lift unbeaten Francis Marion University to a 2-1 non-conference road win over Tusculum College, Saturday night (Sept. 21) in men's soccer action.

Francis Marion improves to 3-0-2 and has registered its longest unbeaten streak to start a season since the 1998 squad opened 8-0-0.  FMU will return to Peach Belt Conference action on Sunday, Sept. 29, at home against the University of Montevallo.  Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

The Patriots controled the kickoff to open the extra period and took the ball down field where a foul was called on the Pioneers (2-2-0) in the box.  Poussett took the penalty kick and slotted the ball into the right corner as Tusculum goalkeeper Ashley Elsey dove in the opposite direction.  It was Poussett's first goal as a Patriot.

The match was knotted at 0-0 after the opening 45 minutes, although Tusculum had a goal disallowed by an offside call.  Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead only 1:47 after halftime as sophomore Tyler Norris stood tall among a mass of humanity in the six-yard box and headed in a corner kick by sophomore Sven Ricke.

FMU nearly took a 2-0 advantage only minutes later on another corner kick, but the official whistled a foul on the Patriots just prior to the ball ending up in the netting.  Tusculum answered with the tying goal at the 54:40 mark when Jonathan Spicher corralled a loose ball in the box following a Pioneer corner kick, and scored from short range.

Both teams had opportunities to tally the winning score prior to the end of regulation, but neither could convert.

FMU outshot Tusculum 12-9, while both teams earned six corner kicks.  Francis Marion freshman goalkeeper Nick Stover recorded two saves, while Elsey had three stops.  Stover has allowed only four goals in nearly 500 minutes to start his collegiate career for a goals against average of 0.73.

Francis Marion Univ. (3-0-2) def. Tusculum (2-2-0) 2-1 in OT
Date: Sep 21, 2013  Attendance: 214
Weather: Cloudy, 65, wind NW 6

Goals by period       1  2 OT  Tot
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Francis Marion Univ.  0  1  1 -  2
Tusculum............        0  1  0 -  1
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  46:47 FMU_M Tyler Norris (1) (Sven Ricke) - Header off corner
1-1.  54:40 TCM Jonathan Spicher (3) Corner kick - Loose ball from close range
2-1.  90:24 FMU_M Lukas Pousset (1) Penalty kick

Shots: Francis Marion Univ. 12, Tusculum 9
Saves: Francis Marion Univ. 2 (Nick Stover 2), Tusculum 3 (Ashley Elsey 3)

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