BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Florida Gulf Coast University's men's soccer team got a goal from
Salvador Martinez Roman in the 78
th minute to rally for a 1-1 tie with UAB in a non-conference match Saturday night at PNC Field.
The Eagles conclude their season-opening, five-match road trip with a 2-2-1 record, with a 1-0-1 mark in their last two outings, both against American Conference opposition. FGCU is also now 1-0-1 all-time against the Blazers, having knocked off UAB, 2-1, in a match in 2023.
Saturday's match started slowly, with only one shot – that coming from the Eagles'
Mario Bastante Pejenaute – in the first 24-plus minutes of action. UAB (1-2-1) finally registered its first shot at the 25:04 mark, but it wasn't until 26:36 into the match that either team sent a shot on goal, when UAB's Tony Kim scored off an assist by Mathias Love Groth to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
The match stayed tight and cagey for the rest of the opening 45 minutes, and UAB took its 1-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Blazers outshot FGCU, 5-1, and 2-0 in shots on goal. UAB had two corner kicks to the Eagles' none, but FGCU (2-2-1) showed it wanted to press forward against the Blazers, being called for offsides four times in the first half. The teams were fairly even when it came to fouls, as UAB was called for seven, compared to five for FGCU.
Most of the second half was like the first, with UAB getting more scoring opportunities than the Eagles, but FGCU still found a way to tie the match, as Martinez Romo netted his first goal of the season on an assist by
Edson Murguia at 77:03 to even things up, 1-1.
It stayed tied until the final whistle, as neither team was able to manage a shot in the final 12-plus minutes of action. For the match, UAB outshot FGCU, 7-5, but the Eagles outshot the Blazers, 4-2, in the final 45 minutes. UAB did have three shots on goal compared to FGCU's one and had four corner kicks to the Eagles' two. FGCU was called for offsides nine times (compared to three for UAB), and the teams combined for 26 fouls (15 on UAB, 11 on FGCU). Two yellow cards were handed out, one to each team.
Bastante Pejenaute had two shots and the trio of Martinez Romo, Murguia, and
Linus Dahl had a shot apiece for FGCU in the match.
Nicolas Leite started his second straight match in goal for the Eagles and made two saves in earning the tie.
With their season-opening road swing now in the rear-view mirror, the Eagles open the home portion of their 2025 schedule on Tuesday, when FGCU hosts Florida Memorial in a 7 p.m. matchup at Pickering Field. The game is designated as a "Green Out" for FGCU fans, who will receive free season schedule posters and cards. There will also be a post-match poster signing with the FGCU team.
For the first time in program history, FGCU is offering season tickets for its soccer programs, with packages starting at $60. Fans who purchase season tickets for either the men's or women's soccer teams will receive a season ticket combo for both programs. Mini-plan and single-game tickets are also available, with single-match ticket prices as low as $12.
Fans who aren't able to make it out to Pickering Field to support the Eagles in person can still catch all the action online, as all FGCU home matches are streamed on ESPN+.
