FORT MYERS, Fla. – The No. 18 FGCU men's soccer team (3-0-1) scored three second half goals to roll past Georgia Southern (2-1-0), who is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, 5-1, Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

"I'm really proud of the all-around performance from our guys today," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "We got caught early on but I'm glad how we were able to respond and take the 2-1 lead before the half. Coming out of the break we knew we had to keep the energy going and we did that. Up and down the roster everyone contributed today and that's what you like to see, so I was very pleased."

It was a shaky start for the Green and Blue as Georgia Southern was the first to strike with a goal in the sixth minute. Unfazed, FGCU responded eight minutes later using the right side of the pitch. Shak Adams (Antioch, Tenn./Cane Ridge HS) found Kareem Riley (Couva, Trinidad & Tobago/Presentation College San Fernando) who dished it to O'Vonte Mullings (Toronto, Ontario/Northview Heights Secondary HS) inside the 18-yard box for the one-timer shot. It was Mullings first of the season. Thomas Deplace (Toulouse, France/Scientific Bac) nearly put FGCU up in the 32nd with a header off a corner kick but a one-handed save denied the senior.

The game looked to be tied minutes before the intermission but newcomer Aiden Jokomba (Anchovy St. James, Jamaica/Cornwall College) changed that. Appearing in his first collegiate match, Jokomba found a ball from freshman Stephen Linton (Miramar, Fla./La Salle HS) inside the six-yard box and put it away (42nd minute) to the far post, no more than one minute after being subbed in. FGCU headed to the locker room up 2-1, registering 11 shots with eight coming on frame.

In the second stanza, the Eagles recorded their first shot on target in the 67th minute via Adams as Deplace capitalized in the 70th. Once again off a corner, the captain headed one to the right-upper 90 for the 3-1 lead. Miguel Perez (Caracas, Venezuela/Cypress Bay HS) was credited with the assist. The two final goals for the Green and Blue would arrive in the final 12 minutes.

Just inside the left edge of the 18-yard box, Joao Burti (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western) crossed a pass to his right and found Jahan Rajaee (Gainesville, Fla./F.W. Buchholz HS) for the tap-pin in the 78th minute. Six minutes later, Michael Luke (Parkland, Fla./UNC Asheville) netted the final goal for FGCU. The junior midfielder sprinted along the left-side of the pitch all the way to the penalty area where he struck a right-footed shot right past the keeper's left hand.

Along with Jokomba, Deplace, Rajaee and Luke all netted their first career collegiate goal. On offense, 12 different Eagles recorded a shot as the team finished with 21, 15 coming on frame. Vasconcelos capped off the match securing five saves as he moves to 3-0-1 between the posts.

Up Next  
FGCU hits the road to California where it will play 2018 NCAA participant UC Riverside (3-0-0) Friday night, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. Two days later, the Eagles square off against Cal State Fullerton (3-0-0).

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 20-11-6 (.622) 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 134-100-53 (.559) 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.