ANDERSON, SC – A second-half penalty kick that also resulted in a red card allowed Anderson University to escape with a 3-1 non-conference victory over Francis Marion University, Wednesday night (Sept. 22) in men's soccer action.
 
FMU (2-4-1) will return to Conference Carolinas play on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Converse University on Hartzler Field.  Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students with FMU students admitted free with ID. 
 
After an early Anderson tally by Santiago Alvarez at the 17:05 mark, FMU evened the match at 1-1 at 30:56.  Awarded an indirect free kick, Patriot senior Sam Pollard back-heeled the ball to senior midfielder Oliver Peters who's 29-yard blast found the netting in the upper right portion of the goal.
 
The score remained deadlocked through intermission.
 
Francis Marion came out the aggressor in the early part of the second stanza and registered four shots in the first 16 minutes.  Patriot defender John Castro volleyed a pass to freshman Nick Huenig on the left side of the penalty and his 8-yard attempt was on target but stopped by Trojan goalkeeper Gal Elyashiv in the 56th minute.  Just over a minute later, Pollard dribbled down the far left sideline and crossed the ball into the box.  His pass turned into a near score when it angled toward the goal and glanced off the crossbar above a helpless Elyashiv.
 
In the 62nd minute, Anderson's Harry Ward got behind the Patriot backline and pushed the ball into the penalty area. FMU junior keeper Felipe de Moraes came off his line to defend, but tackled Ward without getting the ball.  The ensuing whistle resulted in a penalty kick and a red card against de Moraes, who recorded his first career shutout last Saturday.
 
Agustin Ortiz converted the penalty kick against FMU sophomore keeper Riccardo Rossi, who took over in goal.  Pollard and Huenig would put shots on frame in an attempt to knot the score in the 78th and 84th minutes respectively, but Elyashiv stopped both tries.
 
Graduate school defender Oier Bernaola had a last attempt in the 87th minute, but his header off a Pollard free kick sailed high and over the crossbar.
 
Ward would add an insurance goal with 2:06 remaining.
 
Anderson outshot FMU 15-13, although the Patriots held a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.  The Trojans managed only three shots on target, but all three were scores.  Pollard led FMU with five shots, while Huenig recorded three attempts.
 
 
Anderson University (3-1-1) def. Francis Marion Univ. (2-4-1) 3-1
Date: Sep 22, 2021  Attendance: 63
Weather: Wet; 70 degrees
 
Goals by period          1  2  Tot
Francis Marion Univ.   1  0 -  1
Anderson............       1  2 -  3
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  17:05 AUMS Santiago Alvarez (unassisted) - gathered ball top of box, shot past keeper
1-1.  30:56 FMU Oliver Peters (Sam Pollard) – short pass off indirect free kick
2-1.  61:10 AUMS Agustin Ortiz Penalty kick
3-1.  87:54 AUMS Harry Ward (A. Cox-Ashwood) - passed in to corner of box; punched past keeper
 
Shots: Francis Marion 13, Anderson 15 ; Saves: Francis Marion 0 (Felipe de Moraes 0, Riccardo Rossi 0), Anderson 4 (Gal Elyashiv 4)