Men's Soccer Battles Back to Earn a Draw in the SSC Opener

LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College men's soccer team had to fight their way back to earn a draw in the Sunshine State Conference opener against Eckerd College. A game that started with a three-hour weather delay and forced the teams to play in the rain ended in a 4-4 tie late Wednesday night game on Berend Field. 
 
The Tritons (2-1-2, 1-0-1 SSC) started the game attacking first with a goal by Jannik Brengel at the 9:24 mark that gave Eckerd an early 1-0 lead. The Moccasins (2-2-2, 0-0-1 SSC) tied the game during the 19th minute as junior defender Mathias Kjolner's corner kick found the head of sophomore defender Ruben Linden, tying the game 1-all. 
 
Shortly after the tie the Tritons took back its one-goal lead as Luciano Rodriguez scored at the 23:12 giving Eckerd a 2-1 lead going into halftime. 
 
After the half, the Tritons scored its third goal taking a 3-1 lead in the 66th minute from Fredrik Heise. The Mocs quickly turned the game around with back-to-back goals as junior midfielder Victor Beker found freshman midfielder Matthew Male scoring his first collegiate goal to close the gap back to a one-goal deficit. With Beker's feet hot on the night, the Netherland native tied the game at 3-3, when senior forward Kyle Carr sent a cross to Beker and his shot went flying into the back of the net at 72:02. 
 
With the third goal in six minutes coming in from Eckerd's Blaine Sutton, the Tritons took back the lead at 76:30 making the Mocs have to work the remainder of the half to comeback. The Mocs earned a penalty inside the box sending junior midfielder Jay Skelcher-Maxwell to take a penalty kick. Skelcher-Maxwell lined up ball and sent it right past the keeper's left arm into the back of the net to tie the game for the final time. 
 
Both teams combined for 24 shots, with FSC leading with 13 shots seven on goal while Eckerd had 11 shots and eight on goal. Eckerd's keeper had three saves on the night all coming in the first, while the Mocs keeper sophomore Lasse Dettmer had four saves in the second half. 
 
Skelcher-Maxwell tallied three shots, followed by junior midfielders Felix Tonne, Luca Bernoth, and Beker. Several Mocs had one shot including Kjolner, Linden, Male, and graduate student midfielder Hunter Stroble. 
 
The Mocs jump right back into a tough competition when they travel to face No.10 Lynn University on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
 
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