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Florida National University

Scoreboard

Ignacio Pacheco kicking a soccer ball in Florida National's home opener 2026.
0
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA (0-2-0)
2
Winner William Carey (MS) WILLIAM (3-0-0)
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA
(0-2-0)
0
Final
2
William Carey (MS) WILLIAM
(3-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA 0 0 0
William Carey (MS) WILLIAM 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Brenda Bogle

FNU’s road trip starts with 2-0 loss to No. 20 William Carey

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Aug. 26, 2026) — Conquistador men's soccer (0-2-0) went head-to-head against its first ranked opponent of 2026, dropping a 2-0 match to the William Carey University Crusaders (3-0-0) Wednesday night.

The first half displayed the Crusaders' first-class speed in their attacking front, as the Conquistadors were held to zero shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes of play. WCU also dominated the corner race, with all five corner kicks awarded in the period. Michael Olszewski had the best opportunity for a Florida National goal, but his attempt sailed high over the net.

FNU's defense was on high alert early on, with keeper Ignacio Pacheco grabbing six saves before the break. Notably, defender Denis Silva came up big with a last-second deflection on a shot by Souleymane Balde in the 11th minute for a Crusader corner kick. Facing an empty net, Silva's effort kept WCU off the board at least momentarily.

The Crusaders' pressure finally broke through on a shot by Pedro Sao Tiago that bounced off the right post into the net for the game's first goal. Towards the end of the frame, both teams made substitutions and saw the tension only build as yellow cards began to rise in the air by the main referee. Five cards were recorded before the break (two for FNU and three for WCU), and the Conquistadors saw some positive movement on their side of the pitch before play was paused at halftime.

In the second half, FNU's Augusto Pugin and Drew McDermid posted one shot apiece before the final ten minutes of the match, to no avail for the visiting Conquistadors. As a team, FNU was more assertive and managed to claim a corner kick in the 78th and 82nd minutes. WCU, unfortunately, was not satisfied with a one-score lead.

Balde used a strong pass by Fabian Arroyo to make it a 2-0 affair with nine minutes left on the clock. To their credit, the Conquistadors finished out the closing seconds of the match with great intensity, blocking Crusader shots and challenging a tough WCU defensive line.

The real bright spot of the match was Pacheco's seven saves on 10 shots faced, as the Conquistadors moved to 0-2 all-time against WCU at Danny Owens Field.

Up Next: FNU stays in the Magnolia State for a noon match against new Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) member United States Sports University on Aug. 28.
 

 
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