DeLand, Fla. - Stetson made it an even dozen wins on the season with a 2-1 victory over Florida Gulf Coast Sunday at the Stetson Soccer Complex. The Hatters raised their record to 12-3-2 overall and 6-2-1 in conference play while the Eagles dropped to 8-7-1 and 6-3-0.
Stetson was able to celebrate senior day with a win and send seniors Robert Hodge (Devon, England), Kevin Munz (Jupiter, Fla.), Griffin Gilstrap (Safety Harbor, Fla.) and Set Carpintero (Orlando, Fla.) out on a good note.
"I am very happy our seniors went out with a win", said Stetson Head Coach T. Logan Fleck. "We have had a great time with these young men at Stetson. They are deserving of everything they have achieved."
Although Stetson was outshot 20-7 by FGCU in the game, the flow of play was in the home team's favor for most of the 90 minutes. It was the quality of the shots that were important.
Stetson struck first with a goal in the 28th minute. Sophomore midfielder Gonzalo de Mujica (Weston, Fla.) lined up the team's second, and as it turned out, last corner kick of the game. It was a deadly accurate cross that found fellow sophomore Fredrik Brustad (Oslo, Norway) deep in the box. Brustad blasted a header to the left side of the goal that rippled the backside of the net. It was the sixth goal of the season for the Preseason All-Conference performer.
Coming out of the halftime break both teams battled to set up a defining goal. FGCU was hoping for an equalizer and Stetson looking for insurance. It wasn't until the 81st minute that Stetson found what it was looking for and once again Brustad was involved.
The Norwegian speedster made one of his patented runs down the right side, made a few moves to separate from a defender and then slipped a cross to Munz who had penetrated the box. Munz made a move to the right, and then to the left to elude his defender. He had the keeper leaning left so he popped a left footed shot to the lower right. It was his sixth goal of the season and Stetson had a 2-0 lead.
FGCU scored with under two minutes remaining to spoil Logan Potter's (Merritt Island, Fla.) shutout, yet that was all the visitors could do in their attempt at a comeback.
"Giulio (D'Amore) in the midfield, and our back four, our brick wall, all did a great job defending for us", said Fleck. "On the attacking end Gonzo, Brustad and Munzy made the difference."
Stetson, the #2 seed, will now have a bye week off before traveling to the A-Sun Championship Tournament in Buies Creek, North Carolina. This week #3 ETSU will host #6 Lipscomb and #4 UNF will host #5 Mercer in quarterfinal action. In the final four Stetson will take on the winner of ETSU vs. Lipscomb at 4:00 p.m. on November 12. The host and #1 seed Campbell will play at 7:00 p.m.
