DELAND, Fla. – Stetson men's soccer fell to Lipscomb, 2-1, in an emotional hard-played match on both sides Saturday night at the Athletic Training Center.
 
"I think the difference is you got some older teams that have been part of the NCAA Sweet 16, multiple ASUN championships that got two set-piece goals," head coach Emmett Rutkowski said "When you want to beat a top 10 team in the country and the ASUN Champions, you can't give away those goals. On the flip side, we are playing at a high level. I thought we gave them some trouble but didn't have enough quality finishing our chances. I am proud of the group, we worked our tails off. I thought we pressed them well and into making some mistakes. Overall, I am really happy with the group."
 
Lipscomb did not take long cracking the score sheet. On the first corner kick of the match for the visitors, Noah Gulden knocked a goalpost-high line drive and Hayes Wood headed it in to take the 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of play.
 
Following the goal, the sides would each get a shot on goal in the remaining 38 minutes of the first half, but an enormous chunk was played in the midfield with neither side able to make offensive headway.
 
Lipscomb added to their lead after their first corner kick of the second half. Hatter goalkeeper Owen Jack saved the initial offering by Wood, but the ball bounced freely inside the six-yard box and Wood was first to the loose ball and knocked it in, two-nil to the visitors.
 
The Hatters pulled one back in the 68th minute. Working from the back, Gio Rodriguez received the ball from Alessandro Gabbani, and knocked it forward for Charles Ahl to run onto it. Ahl got the ball and shielded it as the Bisons' Louis Robinson bowled overtop of him for a free kick roughly 10 yards from the end line on the right attacking side. Ahl took the free kick and Gabbani got a flick to the ball and the ball ricocheted into the net, 2-1 to the visitors, but momentum with SU.
 
The Hatters were unable to capitalize on the momentum as Lipscomb held on to the one-goal win [2-1].
 
Jack notched five more saves. The Hatter starting keeper now has a 13-save lead for the ASUN top spot. Ahl registered his third assists and Gabbani netted his second goal.
 
"Owen made some good saves," Rutkowski said of the veteran goalkeeper. "I think he knew the magnitude of the game and was really solid."
 
Youth was a very focused point of attack today as several underclassmen got crucial minutes.
 
"Charles Ahl probably had one of his best performances and we can see the potential," Rutkowski continued, talking about youth contributions to the side. "We are also playing some other freshman, Miguel [Romero] keeps getting better every game. Jacob Lenhard's playing at a very high level. When you're athletic, work hard and understand your role you can get minutes here and Seth [Russ] is the epidemy of that. There's a few guys out here that work hard at practice then come in at night and work, it's not just one time it's been consistent through Fall, and I like rewarding guys putting in that extra effort."
 
Stetson faces a challenge with a fast turnaround with Georgia Southern coming to DeLand for homecoming Tuesday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.