EAST LANSING, Mich. – The FGCU men's soccer team (1-0-1) leaves its Michigan trip with an unblemished mark as the Eagles played to double overtime 1-1 draw against No. 7 Michigan State (0-0-2), Monday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
"I thought the guys' performance today was in many ways better than our game Friday against Michigan," said head coach
Jesse Cormier. "We moved the ball well and gave them a lot to deal with and think about. It's unfortunate that we didn't get the win today but we certainly did enough to get all three points. I give credit to Michigan State for never giving up when we had the advantage."
It was a defensive battle for both squads early on as FGCU didn't record its first shot until the 17th-minute mark, a right-footed liner from
Jahan Rajaee (Gainesville, Fla./F.W. Buchholz HS) that needed a diving save. Seven minutes later,
Ryan Medilah (Paris, France/San Jacinto) tested the MSU keeper but was denied as the last shot on frame in the first half was taken by
Ethan Dudley (St. Johns, Fla./Bartram Trail HS) in the 37th minute.
The first half saw the FGCU offense record six shots with one corner. Keeper
Gustavo Vasconcelos (Recife, Brazil/Colegio GGE) saw four shots go by him, none of threat as the Eagles defense kept the Spartans in check yielding no shots on frame.
Ivan Rosales (Houston, Texas/San Jacinto) received the starting nod in the second stanza and sparked the FGCU attack nearly connecting in the 51st minute. The senior launched a shot from 15 yards that went left of the near post. His next attempt would miss wide of the mark in the 68th, but the Houston native capitalized with two minutes left in regulation.
Shak Adams (Antioch, Tenn./Cane Ridge HS) was fouled just inside the 15-yard box to draw the penalty kick as Rosales was called upon to take and it buried it in the top-left corner. It was Rosales' second goal of the season (game-winner against No. 13 Michigan Friday night).
FGCU looked to be walking away with a win in its pocket but the Spartans drew a foul in the box after Vasconcelos leaped in the air, coming down on a player. MSU converted the penalty kick with 57 seconds left to bring the match into overtime.
In extra time, FGCU mustered two shots, edging MSU in corners, 2-1 (7-3 overall). All said the offense put up 16 total shots with six coming on frame. The defense limited the seventh-ranked Spartans to four shots on goal in the 110 minutes.
Up Next
FGCU returns to the Nest for its first home-opener against Seton Hall (1-0) this Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 pm. The match is a 'Green Out' as the team will also hold a banner ceremony pregame celebrating its 2018 ASUN regular season title.
Fall Sports Single-Game, Season and Group Tickets On Sale
Single game tickets for volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer are on sale now. Prices are $7 for adults and $5 for military/veterans (with ID) and youth (age 15 and under).
Season tickets (entry to each home game) are $55 for volleyball and women's soccer and $40 for men's soccer. Group tickets are $7 for groups of 15 or more and will include reserved seats, group recognition, a group activity and choice of FGCU gear or food. Fall Frequent Flyer passes, which includes a total of 30 entries to all three sports, are just $99.
For all inquiries, you can visit FGCUtickets.com, call 239-590-7145 or stop by the ticket office, which is open daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one hour prior to all home events.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men's soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer, Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer, Facebook /FGCUMSoccer, and YouTube /FGCUAthletics.
HEAD COACH JESSE CORMIER
Jesse Cormier completed his second as head coach of the FGCU men's soccer program after being hired in January of 2017 to become just the 2nd head coach in program history. Cormier has guided FGCU to a 18-11-6 (.594) record overall, including a 9-2-2 mark (.773) in ASUN play. The Eagles have reached the ASUN Tournament semifinals for eight-straight seasons (every year of eligibility), as Cormier has coached 16 all-conference selections since his arrival (program-record 10 in 2017). Cormier was the head coach at his alma mater the University of Vermont for the previous 13 seasons. He won 14 games with the Catamounts in 2016 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. During his time with Vermont, Cormier guided the program to the America East Tournament in 12 of 13 seasons, making five title game appearances, winning two tournament crowns, claiming a regular-season championship and advancing to three NCAA tournaments, including a pair of Second Round appearances. Cormier holds an overall 132-100-53 (.553) record as a head coach in his fourteen plus seasons at the helm.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 78 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's basketball again in 2018-19. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in spring 2018 and have outpaced their institution's undergraduate student body GPA each of the past 20 semesters. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl in 2017.
