FLORENCE, SC – Seventh-ranked and unbeaten Lander University scored a pair of second-half goals to overcome a fast Francis Marion University start and claim a 2-1 victory over the Patriots, Monday night (March 15) in Peach Belt Conference men's soccer play.
 
Francis Marion (3-3-2, 2-3-2) will host Clayton State University on Monday (March 22) at 6 p.m.  Attendance is limited to 250 and that includes only season ticket holders, FMU students with pre-acquired tickets, and family members of players and staff with pre-reserved tickets. No walk-up game-day tickets will be sold.
The Patriots started the match on the front foot, taking the action to the Bearcats. Only 32 seconds into the contest, junior Jafet Santiago launched a five-yard header off a cross from sophomore Alvaro Zamora that went wide of the target.  Santiago had a second shot blocked at the 2:26 mark, and junior forward Javier Bello was high with a header off a cross from John Castro in the 11th minute.
 
In the 20th minute, Santiago sent a cross to the top of the penalty area from the right side.  The ball was deflected to FMU junior midfielder Oliver Peters by a Bearcat defender.  Peters gathered the ball and drove into the penalty area where he was fouled by a Lander player.  On the resulting penalty kick at 19:30, Zamora sent his shot down the middle while Bearcat goalkeeper Jacob Withers dove to his right and Francis Marion led 1-0.
 
Patriot senior goalkeeper Maximiliano Rocco preserved the advantage with a strong save on an attempt by Lander's Max McNulty in the 40th minute.  Rocco finished the match with eight saves.  A Bearcat goal was disallowed in the 41st minute due to an offside call.
 
Lander (5-0-0, 4-0-0) outshot FMU 15-6, including a 10-1 advantage over the final 36 minutes.  Francis Marion held a slight 3-2 edge in corner kicks, all five of which came after intermission.
 
Withers made his only save of the match early in the second half when Santiago put a shot on frame.
 
The Bearcats produced the equalizing score at 57:34 when Mohssine Samiki dribbled forward toward the box, passed the ball to his left to Joe Linley, who crossed the ball to McNulty who buried a 14-yard left-foot shot.
 
A diving save by Rocco at 74:14 kept the match even at 1-1.
 
However, at the 81:26 mark, Lander's Timon Windisch volleyed home a corner kick by Tom Marriott to register the match-winning score. 
 
FMU lost to the Bearcats 1-0 earlier this season in Greenwood on an 85th minute score. All three of the Patriot losses this season have been by one goal, all of which occurred after the 82nd minute.

 
 
#7 Lander (6-0-0, 5-0-0) def. Francis Marion Univ. (3-3-2, 2-3-2) 2-1
Date: 03/15/21      Attendance: 95
Weather: Mostly overcast, cool
 
Goals by period         1  2  Tot
---------------------------------------
Lander..............         0  2 -  2
Francis Marion Univ.  1  0 -  1
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  19:30 FMU Alvaro Zamora (1) (PK) - Shot down middle as GK dives right
1-1.  57:34 LU Max McNulty (4) (Mohssine Samiki;Joe Linley) - #12 dribbles in, pass to left to #7, cross into box, #10 left-foot 14-yard shot
1-2.  81:26 LU Timon Windisch (2) (Tom Marriott) - 6-yard volley shot off corner kick
 
Shots: Lander 15, Francis Marion 6 ; Saves: Lander 1 (Jacob Withers 1), Francis Marion 8 (Maximiliano Rocco 8)