JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Darius Kerr-Cooper's (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary's HS) goal in the 73^rd minute proved the difference maker as the FGCU men's soccer team clinched a spot in the ASUN Championship Tournament with a 1-0 victory at North Florida on Saturday night. The result improved the Eagles to 3-7-1 overall and 3-3-0 in the ASUN, while the Ospreys fell to 4-6-1 overall and 2-4-0 in league action.
 
After the penultimate weekend of the regular season, the ASUN Tournament picture is taking shape, but will be fully determined next week. Central Arkansas (5-1), Lipscomb (4-2), Stetson (4-2), and FGCU (3-3) have all locked up spots in the six-team field. The Eagles could move into third with a win over Stetson next Saturday night at Pickering Field. FGCU holds tie-breakers over three of the bottom four teams with Liberty being the only team to have the head-to-head advantage over the Eagles.
 
"Tonight was a big road win for us. The guys came together, played for each other, and contributed - from coaches, players, and reserves," said head coach Jesse Cormier. "When this team has that level of contribution, we can achieve anything. I'm proud of the effort, comradery, team work, and unity. The best things this team can achieve are still to come."
 
In Saturday night's win, the first half started evenly between the two sides. UNF held a slim 5-to-4 advantage in shots while both keepers made three saves.
 
Kerr-Cooper's goal in the 73^rd minute was his first of the season and, to this date, one of the most pivotal of the year. The marker was set up by Marcos Da Paz (Recife, Brazil/Columbia International) who slotted a pass through the Ospreys defense. Kerr-Cooper chased down the ball just outside the near post where he re-directed a shot in stride past a charging Padraic Gilley.
 
UNF had a pair of corners and two shots, with one saved by FGCU keeper Gustavo Vasconcelos (Recife, Brazil/Colegio GGE), in the balance of regulation, but the Eagles were able to hold the Ospreys at bay to secure the win.
 
Vasconcelos finished the match with five saves, while Gilley had four in the loss.
 
FGCU held a 10-to-8 advantage in shots and a 4-to-3 edge in corner kicks on the night.
 
The Eagles will close out the regular season next Saturday, Oct. 30 against Stetson. Prior to the 7 PM kick off, FGCU will honor 11 members of its graduating class and will also hold the official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for Pickering Field.
 
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. You can also sign-up to have news on FGCU men's soccer and all 15 sport programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

HEAD COACH JESSE CORMIER
Jesse Cormier is in his fifth year as head coach of the FGCU men's soccer program in the fall of 2021 after being hired in January of 2017 to become just the 2nd head coach in program history. Cormier has guided FGCU to a 32-29-12 (.511) record overall, including an 18-8-4 mark (.650) in ASUN play. The Eagles have reached the ASUN Tournament semifinals for nine-straight seasons (every year of eligibility), as Cormier has coached 28 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 146-116-58 (.551) record as a head coach in his 16-plus seasons at the helm.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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 85 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 42 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, 2020 Fall, and 2021 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl. 
  
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--