Boca Raton, Fla. - The Stetson men's soccer team improved to 3-0-0 on the season with a 1-0 road victory over Florida Atlantic (2-1-0). The Hatters avenged last season's 1-0 loss to the owls in DeLand. Stetson is now 7-17-1 all-time against FAU.
For the second consecutive game on the road trip Griffin Gilstrap (Safety Harbor, Fla.) scored the first goal of the game with an assist from Fredrik Brustad (Oslo, Norway). This time it turned out to be the game-winner.
In the 18th minute of the first half the Hatters won the ball and sent Brustad on a run down the right flank. After clearing a few defenders he delivered a perfect cross that found Gilstrap in the box. Gilstrap pounced on the pass and played a one-timer past goalkeeper Jeremy Crumpton and into the bottom left corner. It was the third goal of the season, and fifth in the career of the Stetson senior. Gilstrap currently leads the A-Sun in scoring with seven points. For Brustad it was his second assist of 2009.
"I am just trying to help the team in any way I can", said Gilstrap after the game. "It was a team goal all the way, I was just happy to finish it."
Gilstrap was asked about scoring three goals on the weekend. "Pretty Awsome! I have to thank God for blessing me a lot this year."
After controlling the first half and leading 9-6 in shots, the Hatters faced a determined Owls team in the second. FAU made a charge and ended up with a 5-0 advantage in shots in the second.
"In the first half we were comfortable. In the second they picked it up and made it difficult for us", said senior defender and co-captain Robert Hodge (Devon, England). "Potter did very well and made a couple of big saves... very positive to see that!"
Stetson goalkeeper Logan Potter (Merritt Island, Fla.) finished with six saves and registered his second shutout of the season.
"Potter did a great job to keep a clean sheet today and Hodge made sure that defensively we stayed in the game", said Hatters Head Coach T. Logan Fleck.
"We are happy to get two wins over the weekend. We will have to continue to work hard heading into next weekend's tournament in DeLand", he added.
Next weekend Stetson will host the 2009 Stetson Soccer Classic. On Friday Jacksonville will take on Hofstra at 5:00 p.m. followed by Stetson vs. Saint Joseph's at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday JU will play Saint Joseph's at 11:00 a.m. and Stetson will battle Hofstra at 1:00 p.m.
