FLORENCE, SC – Senior defender Sam Pollard, the reigning Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Week, continued his strong play as he tallied a goal and two assists while helping lead Francis Marion University to a 4-0 win over Converse University, Saturday night (Sept. 25) in men's soccer action.
 
Francis Marion remains one of three unbeaten squads in the conference with a 3-0-0 mark – having yet to concede a goal – while improving to 3-4-1 overall.  FMU will return to action on Saturday (7 p.m.) at Emmanuel College, while the next home match for the Patriots will be Oct. 9 at 4:30 p.m. against Lees-McRae College. 
 
Despite maintaining a healthy advantage in possession (66% to 34%) over the first 45 minutes, it was Converse that nearly took a 1-0 advantage at the 9:22 mark.  A neat through ball placed Maurice Niklos against FMU sophomore goalkeeper Riccardo Rossi. As Niklos charged toward the top of the penalty area, Rossi left his line and blocked the shot near the penalty spot denying the goal-scoring opportunity.
 
Patriot sophomore midfielder Kimo Lemke received a through ball from senior Oliver Peters in the 13th minute, but his 13-yard attempt glanced off the crossbar.  Pollard's free kick from 35 yards out at 26:32 also clanged off the crossbar. Thirty seconds later, Peters found the head of junior forward Alvaro Zamora, but his shot sailed over the woodwork.
 
Zamora did give FMU the lead at 37:06 when he converted a penalty kick, beating Converse goalkeeper David Windmiller just inside the right post. 
 
A give-away in the defensive half allowed Converse's Hayden Gensler to get behind the Patriot defense in the 42nd minute.  He sidestepped Rossi near the top of the penalty area, but his attempt at the open net went outside the left post.  FMU made the Valkyries pay just over a minute later (42:45) when a Pollard corner kick was headed down by Gabrielle Cavarero to sophomore Jose Curvelo who scored on a left-footed shot from the right side of the 6-yard box.
 
In the second stanza, Converse had a chance to cut the margin in half, but Niklos' header off a short free kick from the right side was off target at 60:37.
 
Francis Marion's John Castro upped the margin to 3-0 at 61:31 when he headed home a corner by Pollard.  Pollard finished the scoring at 71:50 when he received a pass from Peters and streaked into the penalty area where he converted a 15-yard shot from the left side.  Pollard leads the conference with 15 points (5 goals and 5 assists).
 
Francis Marion outshot Converse 16-6 and held a slight 3-2 margin in corner kicks – but two of the corners resulted in goals.
 
Rossi finished with three saves to net his first shutout as a Patriot.  Windmiller also made three stops.
 
FMU head coach Luis Rincon was able to play 21 players in the victory, with Zamora and Pollard leading the way with four and three shots respectively.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. (3-4-1, 3-0-0) def. Converse University (2-4-1, 0-3-0) 4-0.
Date: 09/25/21      Attendance: 100
Weather: Mostly clear, pleasant, 80 degrees
 
Goals by period          1  2  Tot
-----------------------------------------
Converse University.  0  0 -  0
Francis Marion Univ.  2  2 -  4
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  37:06 FMU Alvaro Zamora (3) (unassisted) - into right side corner
2-0.  42:45 FMU Jose Curvelo (1) (Sam Pollard;Gabrielle Cavarero) - Corner kick by #5 from left, headed by #21, swinging left-footed shot from right of 6-yard box
3-0.  61:31 FMU John Castro (1) (Sam Pollard) - header inside near post from 6 yards out off corner kick by #5
4-0.  71:50 FMU Sam Pollard (5) (Oliver Peters) - Through ball, 15-yard shot from left angle
 
Shots: Converse 6, Francis Marion 16 ; Saves: Converse 3 (David Windmiller 3), Francis Marion 3 (Riccardo Rossi 3)