FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore midfielder Youri Keijser scored his first goal of the season in the 57th minute to give visiting Coker University a 1-0 win over Francis Marion University, ending the Patriots' 11-match unbeaten streak, Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 25) in non-conference men's soccer play.
 
Francis Marion (7-2-6) did receive some good news off the field as the Patriots claimed the Conference Carolinas East Division title by virtue of Chowan University's 2-0 loss to the University of Mount Olive. 
 
FMU will close its regular season schedule by playing at Chowan on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.  The conference tournament begins next week and the Patriots could possibly claim the top seed and a bye to the semifinals with a win or tie on Saturday.
 
On Wednesday, each squad registered seven shots, and FMU held a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
 
Junior Patriot goalkeeper Felipe Ramos Peralta recorded four saves, while his counterpart Jasper Rump posted two stops.
 
The opening 45 minutes featured only a combined seven shots, five of which came from the Patriots.  Francis Marion's best scoring opportunity came 8:37 when senior midfielder Vicente Arratia Veit headed a shot that was snagged by Rump.  Arratia Veit also tested Rump again in the 10th minute, but the keeper was again up to the challenge.  Those would be the Patriots' only attempts on frame in the match.
 
Keijser's score came at 56:14 when he settled a pass from Frederic Benedix at the top of the penalty area and knocked a 19-yard shot into the left side of the goal. Two minutes prior to the score, Ramos Peralta had made a diving stop of shot by Jacques Fokam-Sandeu after Keijser sent a through ball that put the Coker forward in a scoring position.
 
Looking for the equalizing score, FMU senior defender Sebastian Garcia sailed a header off a free kick wide right of the Cobra goal at 59:53, and freshman midfielder Camilo Salazar was wide left on an attempt in the 82nd minute.
 
Both teams managed 50-percent of the possession in the 43rd all-time meeting between the two local rivals.
 
The Patriots' 11-match unbeaten string had equaled the fourth longest in team history – behind streaks 12 in 2002, 15 in 2008, and 17 in 2000.


 
Coker University (8-4-3) def. Francis Marion Univ. (7-2-6) 1-0
Date: 10/25/23      Attendance: 70
 
Goals by period         1  2  Tot
---------------------------------------------
Coker University....     0  1 -  1
Francis Marion Univ.   0  0 -  0
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1.  56:14 COKER Youri Keijser (1) (Frederic Benedix) - Cross from left, settle 19-yard shot to left corner of goal
 
Shots: Coker University 7, Francis Marion Univ. 7; Saves: Coker University 2 (Jasper Rump 2), Francis Marion Univ. 4 (Felipe Ramos Peralta 4)