FORT MYERS, Fla. – It was a battle all the way until the final seconds as defenseman Max Edwards netted the game-winner to lead the No. 18 FGCU men's soccer team (2-0-1) past Seton Hall (1-1-0), 1-0, Friday night at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

"Seton Hall came in with some confidence and they stifled us, so I give them a lot of credit," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "In the second half I saw a switch. We were becoming more dangerous, guys were giving more effort with confidence and we created more opportunities. In the end, Max played an incredible game in the back for us defensively and got forward and scored the game-winner. If there was one guy that was really the man of the match and someone who epitomized how we wanted to play, it was him. He was fully deserving to be the hero tonight."

It was a quiet opening stanza for the Eagles as the squad had four shots the entire half, two on target coming from Kareem Riley (Couva, Trinidad & Tobago/Presentation College San Fernando) and Miguel Perez (Caracas, Venezuela/Cypress Bay HS). Seton Hall walked away with three shots none of threat to keeper Gustavo Vasconcelos (Recife, Brazil/Colegio GGE). Both sides garnered one corner apiece.

The opening 10 minutes of the second period saw a more aggressive Eagle squad. Within the early stages, the Green and Blue recorded three shots, two coming on target. The constant attack started to pay off as Ivan Rosales (Houston, Texas/San Jacinto) nearly put FGCU on the board in the in the 68th minute. Rosales struck a liner off a cross inside the six-yard box but the SHU keeper denied the senior.

Over the next 10 minutes the Pirates started testing Vasconcelos, but the Brazil native stood firm, coming up with three saves. In the final eight minutes, Perez continued to attack with a pair of shots, his final proving to be the difference maker. With 15 seconds left, the left-footed striker this time used his right boot to launch a shot, only for it to come off the keeper for Edwards (Woodbridge, Va./Radford College) to bury it in the top corner with five seconds left.

It was Edwards' first goal as an Eagle and of the season. All said FGCU registered 12 shots, seven coming on frame. Vasconcelos secured three saves, moving to 2-0-1 on the season.

Up Next
FGCU faces a quick turnaround hosting Georgia Southern (1-0-0) Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

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 19-11-6 (.611) 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 133-100-53 (.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.