Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Playing its second match in fewer than 48 hours and third in five days, the quick turnaround of a busy schedule seemed to have little ill effect on the Eckerd men's soccer team.
If anything, it might have helped the squad jell more quickly.
After a pair of tight contests were won in the late minutes last week, the Tritons put Sunday's match away early with three first-half goals en route to a 4-1 win over Clayton State (Ga.) University.
The 2:00 PM start made for sweltering conditions on the artificial turf of the Turley Athletic Complex, but a well-conditioned Eckerd squad handled it nicely.
"Under difficult conditions with the heat, I was impressed to see my players' ability to maintain an extremely high level of intensity for the match," said EC head coach
Ian Cameron.
The Tritons (4-0) wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as
Matheus Assumpcao punched in low cross from the left side from
Jordan Lee in the second minute. Assumpcao gathered the pass near the right post and gave Eckerd a quick lead on its first shot of the day.
Assumpcao played a role in Eckerd's second goal, centering the ball from near the line to
Robert Labus in the middle of the box who sent a one-timer past CSU keeper Oliver Pannell for his second goal of the season.
The Tritons struck again in the 31st minute.Â
Juan David Tejada dribbled the ball across the middle and dropped a pass behind him to
Westleigh Rush, who sent a perfectly-placed left-footed strike into the upper right corner to extend the lead to 3-0.
Clayton State, meanwhile, struggled to create opportunities against a stingy Eckerd defense, managing only two shots in the first half.
Assumpcao added his second goal in the 63rd minute, dribbling to his right and ripping a shot from outside the box that hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced into the net.
The Lakers stopped EC's shutout bid in the 86th minute when a deflection landed at the feet of Bilal Nakhli outside the box and he put the ball into the upper right corner.
"I'm disappointed to concede a goal at the end," said Cameron, "but that's a learning lesson for the guys who rotated in."
Eckerd dominated possession in the contest, holding a 30-5 advantage in shots and a 16-3 edge in shots on goal.
The Tritons now prepare for Wednesday's Sunshine State Conference opener as they host defending regular season champion Saint Leo at 7:00 PM.
"I see the players progressing as a group and believe they are starting to better understand what the coaching staff are asking of them and, more importantly, why we demand certain things," said Cameron. "There's plenty of work to do this week in training but a good performance helps the players buy into the coaching staff's vision for the team."
