NASHVILLE, TENN - Jacksonville men's soccer fell 2-1 in Lipscomb Soccer Complex against #1 Lipscomb Saturday night. The match concludes the regular season leaving the Dolphins with a 5-8-3 overall and 2-2-3 in ASUN conference.
HOW IT HAPPENED
#1 Lipscomb (7-3-4) arrived on the night fresh from their first conference loss to Stetson. 37 minutes into the hard-fought first half, Dolphin's midfielder Michael Mancuso broke the deadlock, benefiting from a double assist by Taurayi Tugwete and Trey Demps. Less than a minute later, Lipscomb answered with a goal by Luca Naumann. In the second half, despite the Dolphin's efforts, Lipscomb seized an early 2-1 lead that held throughout the match.
The game began intensely, with Lipscomb taking a clean shot within the first three minutes. However, goalkeeper Mike Zolnierczyk continued his outstanding performance from the previous match, denying Bison's Nick Dang's bottom-center shot on goal. Lipscomb kept up the pressure in the opening minutes, with five of their ten first-half shots coming in the first ten minutes. Malachi Jones, Javanne Smith, and Daniel Stampatori fired the shots for Lipscomb but could not find the net. After this early series of Bison shots, Dolphin's defender Cole Reasonover attempted a bottom-left shot, which was saved by Bison keeper Juan Carlos Rodriguez. Undeterred, Reasonover took another shot on goal shortly after. Carson Wood and Tugwete also sought to score in the first half, with both shots getting past the Bison's defense but met by the keeper. The second half saw Mason Duval open with a dangerous shot on goal, challenging Lipscomb's backline. Once again, the Bison keeper was ready to deny JU efforts. Lipscomb found the net again in the 56th minute. In an attempt to respond, Dolphins Olivier Correa, Carson Wood, and Tugwete all attempted to level the match. Time expired before the Dolphins could equalize.
WHAT THEY SAID
"Congratulations to the regular season champions, Lipscomb," said Head Coach Ali Simmons. "I am extremely proud of our group. I believe we deserved more, and we gave an excellent account of ourselves. I'm truly proud of the grit and performances shown throughout the regular season, and I'm excited to see what we can achieve in postseason play."
ADDITIONAL NOTES
UP NEXT
The Dolphins will compete in the first round of the ASUN Tournament Next Week. The official schedule will be released later this week.
