FERRUM, VA – For a second straight match, senior forward
Victor Barón da Silva netted the game-winning goal, as #7 Francis Marion University captured an eighth consecutive win following a 1-0 shutout at Ferrum College on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 30) in Conference Carolinas men's soccer action.
With the win, the Patriots improve to 9-1-1 overall and remain unbeaten in league competition with a 6-0 mark. Additionally, Francis Marion sits atop the Conference Carolinas East Division with 9 points after winning its opening three matches in divisional play. Meanwhile, the Panthers drop to 4-4-2 this season with a 2-4-1 record in conference action.
FMU completes a three-game roadstand on Saturday, Oct. 3, when it travels to face unbeaten Lees-McRae College (7-0-2) at 1:30 p.m. in a rematch of the 2025 quarterfinal round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament.
Graduate student goalkeeper
Vicent Sanchis collected his fifth shutout of the year after facing just one shot in 90 minutes between the posts.
The contest was a stalemate through the initial 25-plus minutes of the match before the Patriots registered back-to-back shots in the 28th minute. Francis Marion had a pair of scoring chances in the final minutes as junior forward
Jose Coutinho put two shots on goal, with the Panther keeper making a stellar save at the 39:04 mark. At the break, FMU held a 5-0 edge in total shots and a 4-0 lead in corner kicks.
The Patriots continued to control possession in the second half and pressured the Ferrum defense with seven corner kicks and four shots in the opening 25 minutes. At the 70:00 mark, Francis Marion got on the board as sophomore forward
Sebastian Gough gathered a loose ball and found Barón da Silva at the top of the 18-yard box. He delivered a right-footed strike into the bottom left corner for his fifth goal of the year, 1-0. The FMU defense shut down any chances for the Panthers in the final 20 minutes to seal the victory.
Francis Marion outshot Ferrum by a 17-1 margin while holding a 13-1 lead in corner kicks.
