FLORENCE, SC – Unbeaten Palm Beach Atlantic University scored in the opening minute and the Sailfish held off a Francis Marion University attempted comeback for a 1-0 non-conference win, Sunday afternoon (Sept. 10) in men's soccer action.
 
FMU (1-1-1) will play its first road match on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Wingate University.  The next home game for the Patriots will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Conference Carolinas foe King University.
 
The only score of the contest occurred 51 seconds after kickoff – a kick-off that was delayed two hours due to lightning in the area.  A Sailfish corner kick by Alessandro Marongiu was cleared out to the top of the penalty box where PBAU's Narcis Bou Dalmau settled the ball to forward Harry Gardner who fired a 23-yard shot into the Patriot goal.
 
Francis Marion outshot the Sailfish 9-7, while PBAU (3-0-0) held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.
 
FMU junior goalkeeper Felipe Ramos Peralta recorded two saves, while his counterpart Salvador Plaza made two stops in the PBAU goal.
 
Chasing the equalizing goal for the next 89 minutes, the Patriots had several opportunities.  Following a nice build-up, FMU graduate student midfielder Philipp Worner unleashed a 26-yard blast that forced a save by Plaza in the 39th minute.
 
At the 64:52 mark, senior midfielder Vicente Arratia Veit's header off an Andre Sabino corner kick was snagged by Plaza.  The best scoring chance came at 68:20 when a long clearance from the defensive half found FMU junior Edorta Cabieces streaking down the right sideline.  As he reached the final third of the field, he crossed the ball to senior Luis Villarreal who laid the ball off to Sabino, but the junior midfielder's shot from inside the penalty area sailed over the cross bar.
 
Worner had a free kick attempt from 27 yards out in the 85th minute that also sailed high, and a free kick by Miguel Bello from 29 yards out on the left side of the field flew wide of the right post in the 89th minute.
 
The contest was a re-match of a second-round match in the 2019 NCAA National Tournament that Palm Beach Atlantic won 2-1.

 
 
Palm Beach Atlantic (3-0-0) def. Francis Marion Univ. (1-1-1) 1-0
Date: 09/10/23      Attendance: 62
 
Goals by period          1  2  Tot
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Palm Beach Atlantic.  1  0 -  1
Francis Marion Univ.  0  0 -  0
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.   0:51 PBA Gardner, Harry (2) (Bou Dalmau, Narcis) - Corner kick cleared, #16 settled to #10
 
Shots: Palm Beach Atlantic 7, Francis Marion Univ. 9 ; Saves: Palm Beach Atlantic 2 (Salvador Plaza 2), Francis Marion Univ. 3 (Felipe Ramos Peralta 2)