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Florida National University

Scoreboard

Geronimo Luna Grebe playing soccer at Milander
1
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA (3-5-0)
2
Winner William Carey (MS) WILLIAM (9-0-2)
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA
(3-5-0)
1
Final
2
William Carey (MS) WILLIAM
(9-0-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA 1 0 1
William Carey (MS) WILLIAM 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Brenda Bogle

Conquistadors miss the mark against No. 13 Crusaders

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Oct. 5, 2024) - Florida National dropped its fifth consecutive match to an opponent ranked in the NAIA's Top 25 Coaches Poll, falling to No. 13 William Carey University 2-1. The Crusaders (9-0-2) have been a staple of the NAIA Coaches Poll, consistently moving up in the rankings this season. FNU (3-5-0) fell out of favor with the raters on Sept. 11.

The last time the Conquistadors handed a ranked opponent a loss was November 17, 2022, in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament against Life University. FNU eliminated the Running Eagles with a 4-2 victory in Miami Gardens, Fla., before losing to hosts and No. 7-ranked St. Thomas University.

Unfortunately for the Conquistadors, William Carey escaped a tightly contested battle by holding FNU's offense to just 10 shot attempts. The Crusaders got on the board first thanks to Roberto Rangel's goal in the 23rd minute following a smart pass from Djordje Djukovic. To its credit, FNU got up from the mat and delivered a stunning counterattack for Geronimo Luna Grebe's unassisted goal just four minutes later. 

Both teams were forced to head into halftime in a 1-1 deadlock. The Crusaders led the way with eight shot attempts and two corners in the period. The second half saw FNU lose a bit of control of the pace of the contest. As a result, the Crusaders finally got just what they needed on a score from Caoimhin McConnell assisted by Jamie Wynne with under 18 minutes remaining. Both teams began battling for position which lead Mateo Cigaina and WCU's Rangel to pick up yellow cards in the closing minutes.

WCU's defense was disciplined, blocking an attempt from Christian Omar Hernandez and forcing a shot from Henrique Jordao to sail high in the 83rd minute. The Crusaders used the clock to their advantage and sent the Conquistadors back on the road with another tough loss. Goalkeepers Juan Manuel Fermoselle and Andreas Kokoska had one save a piece from the net. 

Up Next: FNU makes a stop in Mobile, Ala., for a contest against the No. 7 Rams on Oct. 7 at noon. 

 
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