FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University scored twice in the final nine minutes to rally and claim a 2-2 tie with visiting North Greenville University, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5) in Conference Carolina men's soccer action.
 
Francis Marion runs its unbeaten string to nine matches and moves to 5-1-4 overall and 4-0-2 in conference play.  The Patriots will host nationally ranked Coker University on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
 
Graduate student forward John Osadolor scored the tying goal with only 5:55 left.  Forward Edorta Cabieces began the sequence with an 18-yard blast that was pushed away by NGU goalkeeper Ricardo Marques, but the ball rebounded to Osadolor who was successful on the six-yard follow-up shot.
 
Neither team was able to register a potential winning shot over the remainder of the contest.
 
FMU led in shots 13-5 and held a commanding 10-3 edge on corner kicks.
 
FMU goalkeeper Alberto Aragoneses Lablanca made one save, while Marques recorded three stops.
 
North Greenville (2-1-3, 0-1-3) stunned the Patriots with a 16th-minute goal by Renan Macuglia on the only shot the Trailblazers had in the opening 45 minutes.
 
Patriot senior Andre Sabino let loose with a 30-yeard shot that Marques pushed over the crossbar for an FMU corner kick at 30:12.
 
NGU doubled their margin only 3:38 into the second half when Enrico Onzi beat Aragoneses Lablanca with a header from three yards out.
 
Despite holding a 61-to-39 percent edge in time of possession, FMU could not break through the North Greenville defense.
 
FMU was awarded a free kick 24 yards out near the middle of the field at 70:57, but midfielder Mario Buelga was high on his attempt.  In the 79th minute, forward Juan Salazar Lopez attempted a bicycle kick in the penalty area, but his attempted clanged off the right post.   
 
In the 82nd minute, Osadolor dribbled into the penalty area from the right sideline.  His cross was pinballed around the 6-yard box.  Salazar Lopez collected the ball for a very short shot that was blocked by a Trailblazer defender standing on the goal line.  As the ball ricocheted back into a mass of humanity, a handball was called on a North Greenville player giving FMU a penalty shot.  Cabieces calming converted the shot into the left side of the goal trimming the margin to 2-1.