MOUNT OLIVE, NC – Junior forward Javier Bello scored on a header off a service from junior defender John Castro in the 93rd minute to lift Francis Marion University to a 3-2 overtime win over the University of Mount Olive, Tuesday night (Oct. 19) in a Conference Carolinas men's soccer first-place showdown.
 
Francis Marion improves to 8-4-2 overall with its second straight overtime win and retains its hold on first place with an unbeaten 7-0-1 mark. FMU will play at North Greenville University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.  The final home match of the regular season will be Wednesday, Oct. 27, against Barton College at 7:30 p.m.
 
Castro's long pass from near the right sideline found Bello who headed the ball just inside the right post and into the upper netting at the 92:10 mark.
 
The Patriots nearly claimed the win moments earlier when junior forward Alvaro Zamora got behind the Trojan defense, but UMO goalkeeper Alex Engren was able to thwart his header attempt from close range.
 
The Trojans (9-5-0, 7-2-0) scored twice in the final 12 minutes of regulation to erase a 1-0 FMU advantage and take a 2-1 lead.  However, Zamora forced overtime with a side-winding 17-yard shot that curled over the outstretched arm of Engren and into the Trojan goal with only 1:34 left in regulation.
 
Mount Olive outshot the Patriots 17-16 with the majority coming in the final 45 minutes.  The Patriot defense had limited UMO to only six first-half shots, only one of which was on target.  Both squads earned for corner kicks.
 
FMU sophomore goalkeeper Riccardo Rossi continued his winning ways as he recorded six saves, including two incredible stops in the 81st minute.  Engren finished with four stops.
 
A turnover by the Trojans in their own defensive half led to FMU's opening score in the first minute.  Senior midfielder Jafet Santiago took control of the ball, passed it to Zamora on the right side, who then turned and lofted a left-footed cross to the far post where sophomore midfielder Kimo Lemke headed it in only 40 seconds after the opening kickoff.
 
The score was only 16 seconds away from the fastest goal in program history, tallied at the 0:24 mark by Michael Ritch at Barton College on Sept. 9, 1999.
 
Sophomore midfielder Matias Morales nearly doubled the margin in the 69th minute when he took control of a cross in the box, but his attempt from close range in the right side of the box sailed outside the left post.
 
Mount Olive knotted the score at 78:12.  A long throw-in led to a header from Alfie Pope to Francisco Macedo, whose header found the right-side netting of the Patriot goal.  The Trojans took a 2-1 advantage when Roberto Hernandez scored on a 20-yard blast with 3:46 left in regulation.  If the Trojans had won, they would have assumed first place in the conference.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. (8-4-2, 7-0-1) def. Mount Olive (9-5-0, 7-2-0) 3-2 in OT
Date: 10/19/21      Attendance: 205
 
Goals by period          1  2 OT  Tot
Francis Marion Univ.    1  1  1 -  3
Mount Olive.........       0  2  0 -  2
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.   0:40 FMU Kimo Lemke (2) (Alvaro Zamora)
1-1.  78:12 UMO Macedo, Francisco (2) (Pope, Alfie)
2-1.  86:14 UMO Hernandez, Roberto (3) (Highfield, Gabe)
2-2.  88:26 FMU Alvaro Zamora (6) (unassisted)
3-2.  92:10 FMU Javier Bello (3) (John Castro)
 
Shots: Francis Marion 16, Mount Olive 17 ; Saves: Francis Marion 6 (Riccardo Rossi 6), Mount Olive 4 (Axel Engren 4)