MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — Florida Southern men's soccer (1-0-0, 0-0-0) secured a 1-0 victory over Mount Olive (0-1-0, 0-0-0) on Friday night at Amon Field, with the lone goal coming in the second half.
The Moccasins opened the season with a victory in its first meeting against the Trojans since 2011. Sophomore
Tim Baierlein provided the difference-maker, scoring on a header into the bottom right corner while closely marked by two defenders, as junior
Darcy Moffat stretched the defense on the opposite side of the box for the assist. In goal, senior
Lasse Dettmer recorded his fourth career shutout to secure the result for the Moccasins.
The first half saw both teams engaging in a defensive battle, with Floirda Southern's Dettmer making crucial saves, notably denying Haythem Abraham in the third minute and Kayden Richter later in the 29th minute. Despite some offensive efforts, including a shot from freshman
Brage Aune in the 25th minute that was stopped by Mount Olive's Daniel Locklear, FSC could not find the back of the net. The period ended scoreless, with each team demonstrating solid defensive play and strategic positioning without breaking the deadlock.
The second half began with a critical moment as Baierlein put the Mocs ahead with a goal in the 49th minute, assisted by Moffat. FSC maintained offensive pressure, with players like freshman
Lukas Wendahl Arnesson and freshman
Max Muth attempting shots that narrowly missed the mark. Despite several fouls and a yellow card against sophomore
Chandler Crawshaw, the team's defensive efforts held strong, securing a 1-0 victory over Mount Olive.
Baierlein secured the game-winning goal, scoring once and finishing with two total shots, including one on goal. Dettmer contributed a shutout by recording two saves across 90 minutes, facing seven shots. Moffat added an assist and attempted two shots, with one on target to help maintain offensive pressure.
Locklear played a pivotal role for the Trojans, recording three saves over 90 minutes as the starting goalkeeper. Juan Gonzalez-Gancedo led the team's offensive effort with two shots, though none found the target. Abraham contributed one shot on goal, matching Richter's effort, who also had two shots with one on target.
In their next game, the Moccasins travel to Wilson, N.C., to face Barton College at the Bulldogs Athletic Complex. The match is set for Sept. 7 at noon.
