Men’s Soccer: Owls rally to win 3-2 in overtime over Florida Gulf Coast
Filip Jauk’s two-goal brace propels FAU from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Florida Gulf Coast 3-2 in OT.
Filip Jauk progressing the ball towards goal. His two goals were crucial in FAU’s win over FGCU.
September 15, 2021
Following a tough end to an impressive start to the season in a 3-1 loss to the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), FAU men’s soccer (4-1-0) resumed their winning ways on Tuesday in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU) (0-4-1) at FAU Soccer Stadium.
The first half was mostly neck-and-neck between the Florida schools, with both teams recording six shots and five on target.
Both teams traded blow for blow in the first half, as FGCU’s chances would arise mostly following an FAU shot. FAU struggled to contain the Eagles’ counterattacks. Eventually, FGCU made the initial breakthrough in the 23rd minute, as senior forward O’Vonte Mullings scored via a well-executed counterattack.
FAU came close to responding towards the end of the half via a shot from freshman forward Filip Jauk, yet the Owls’ efforts were unsuccessful.
On the opposite end, senior goalkeeper Neil Strauber recorded four saves in the first half.
The initial part was frustrating for the Owls, as they quickly had to overcome a two goal deficit.
Mullings recorded his second goal of the match in the 60th minute, dealing a massive blow to the Owls’ confidence.
FAU showed some resilience, however, as freshman midfielder Leo Keller scored his first goal of both the season and his FAU career in the 65th minute.
The match also showed a physical edge from both teams, as minor injuries were suffered from both teams including one from senior midfielder Alonso Coello Camarero and sophomore defender Vasilis Spinos in the second half. Spinos was eventually replaced by freshman defender Chadi Mayati as Spinos looked to be treating a leg injury.
The physicality eventually worked against FGCU as sophomore midfielder Jahvanie Hammond recorded two yellow cards in the 72nd minute alone, resulting in his ejection following a poor tackle on junior defender Tom Abrahamsson.
An ignited FAU pressed aggressively towards equalizing, eventually securing their second via a goal from Jauk in the 72nd minute. The Owls were aggressive in their pursuit of the lead, putting multiple shots on goal following Jauk’s equalizer.
Following unsuccessful late pushes from both teams to take a lead, the game entered overtime at 2-2.
The Owls would finish with an impressive rally to eventually score the game-winning goal, as Jauk secured his brace in the 8th minute of overtime.
The Owls next play on the road in Conway, S.C. against Coastal Carolina to start conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Eston Parker III is the Photo Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @EstonParker.
