DELAND, Fla. - The Stetson Hatters men's soccer team took the pitch on Tuesday, October 17, at the ATC, where they faced off against the visiting University of South Florida Bulls. Despite taking an early 2-0 lead, the Hatters fell to USF with a final score of 3-2, marking their final non-conference game of the 2023 season.
The Hatters got off to a strong start, with none other than Luis Lara opening the scoring in the 23rd minute. He netted the first goal with an assist from Alvaro Gabancho, extending his impressive streak of scoring to four consecutive games and accumulating a total of five goals during this run. Just three minutes later, the Hatters extended their lead to 2-0 when Andres Mata found the back of the net with a well-executed pass from Alessandro Gabbani. This marked Mata's sixth goal of the season, emphasizing his proficiency as a scorer for the Hatters, as well.
However, USF quickly responded with a goal stemming from a free-kick after a foul near the left side of the box. The shot weaved its way through a crowded box and found a man on the opposite end of the net. As the first half approached its closing minutes, Stetson's goalkeeper, Nicolo Radaelli, made a pair of crucial saves. The first save bounced off his hands, and the second required him to use his lower body to prevent a goal, with freshman defender Ross Appolon subsequently clearing the ball from the goal line to preserve the Hatters' lead.
At halftime, the Hatters had attempted eight shots, while the Bulls had attempted six, with Lara and Gabriel Toro both taking two shots for the Hatters, two of which were on target. The Hatters led 8-6 in total shot attempts.
In the second half, the game remained intense, and the Bulls managed to level the score at 2-2 after another shot ricocheted off Radaelli, but this time, the Bulls capitalized on the rebound. The Hatters had several good opportunities to regain the lead, including chances by Haya Yoshizawa and Mata, but they couldn't find a way past the Bulls' last line of defense.
After a remarkable save by Radaelli to the top left corner of the goal, the Bulls took their first lead of the game a few minutes later. Despite efforts, including a shot attempt by Xavi Csato and a few corner kicks, the Hatters were unable to mount a comeback and ultimately lost 3-2.
Both teams attempted a total of 12 shots, with the Bulls having a 9-7 advantage in shots on goal. Radaelli made six saves during the game, with four of them occurring in the second half.
"I'm really proud of the group on how we came out with a 2-0 lead," said Head Coach Emmett Rutkowski. "We need to do a better job og managing the game and take pride in defending if we want to compete for a championship this season."
The Stetson Hatters' record for the season is now 5-5-4, and they will return to the pitch for their home finale on Saturday, October 21, when they host conference foe Lipscomb at the ATC at 7:30 PM.
