FLORENCE, SC – Ninth-ranked Young Harris College scored a pair of goals in the opening 14 minutes and rode that fast start to a 2-0 win over Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 4) in Conference Carolinas men's soccer play.
The loss spoiled Alumni Day for Francis Marion (3-3-3, 3-1-2) which was honoring players from the past 50 years of Patriot Soccer. The Mountain Lions remain unbeaten at 8-0-1 overall and 7-0-0 in conference action.
FMU will play at King University in Bristol, Tenn., on Saturday at 2 p.m. The team's Oct. 8 match at Wingate University has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
Francis Marion outshot the Mountain Lions 15-8 and took all five corner kicks that the match offered.
Patriot senior goalkeeper
Ian Milla recorded three saves, while Young Harris keeper James Dee made six stops.
Daniel Osorno scored the opening goal in the eighth minute when he headed in a rebound from seven yards out. Bjarne Renner had taken the initial shot that was denied by Milla.
Three minutes later, the Patriots nearly tied the contest when
Matteo Benistant fed a through ball to
Elian Aguilar Valencia, but his one-touch shot from the top of the penalty area was knocked away by a sliding Dee.
The margin doubled to 2-0 at the 13:54 mark when Leho Le Louarn took a pass from Thomas Kleinpenning and blasted an 18-yard shot into the upper netting.
The first half featured only two more shots on frame. FMU senior
Deion Miller got a foot on a cross into the 6-yard box in the 37th minute, but the attempt fell harmlessly into the hands of Dee, and a header by senior
Juan Herrera off a service from
David Guevara was snagged by Dee.
A well-placed through ball by Patriot defender
Mathis Magat to Benistant in the 75th minute, resulted in a scoring opportunity, but Benistant's turn-and-shoot attempt was wide of the near post into the outside netting.
The Patriots' best scoring chance in the final stanza came in the 86th minute. A service from the left side by
Mario Buelga eventually found the head of Aguilar Valencia, but his header from eight yards out was pushed by Dee off the crossbar and back out into play.
FMU was awarded an indirect free kick inside the penalty area in the 88th minute, but Benistant's shot sailed over the crossbar.
