Tritons Explode for Six Goals in Rout of Webber International

Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One of the areas in which Eckerd men's soccer head coach Cristian Neagu wanted to see improvement from last year was finishing in the attacking third.

He got to see some growth in that regard on Wednesday as The Tritons scored six times in a 42-minute stretch on their way to a 6-0 win over Webber International (Fla.) at the Turley Athletic Complex.

"I'm happy with the overall results," he said.  "We created some very good chances and had really good moments during the game."

The first good chance that turned into a goal came in the 33rd minute off a set piece from just outside the box.  Richard Ainscough delivered a solid strike to the upper left corner, setting off what was to become a flurry of goals for Eckerd (3-0).

Five minutes later, Ainscough found the back of the net again as the Tritons methodically worked the ball downfield.  T.J. Soehn slid a pass into the center of the field to Ainscough about 30 yards out, and the senior captain took advantage of space driving a hard, low shot to beat WIU keeper Randy Chessor to the left post.

With 2.9 seconds left on the clock in the first half, Nick Jackson made it a three-goal Eckerd lead after he took a ball in the box and dribbled free to score at close range.

The scoring continued in the second half with the Tritons making it 4-0 in the 61st minute.  Ainscough's shot off a set piece was stopped by Chessor but Matheus Assumpcao was running in for the rebound and one-touched it into the net.

Westleigh Rush scored the final Eckerd goals in the 63rd and 75th minutes, first finishing off a flick header from Bailey O'Shea before getting behind the defense on an Ainscough pass and beating Chessor one-on-one for the final score of the match.

Ainscough had a career night with two goals - his first career brace - and two assists.  Alex Gott delivered his second straight clean sheet and extended his scoreless streak to 214 minutes.

While the Tritons dominated possession and shots (25-8), Neagu still sees room to improve.

"My message to guys tonight was that we need to play better," he said.  "We lacked a little concentration tonight."

They'll need that concentration on Saturday, when No. 8 Florida Tech pays a visit to the Turley Athletic Complex.

"Florida Tech will be one of the strongest teams in conference," said Neagu.  "They are well-coached and well-prepared.  It's going to be a good battle."