Tritons Cap Season with 3-1 Win over Barry on Senior Night

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In a season marred by injuries, the Eckerd men's soccer team had something to celebrate on Saturday night in its season finale.

On Senior Night, the Tritons closed the year with a 3-1 win over Barry University.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 3, Barry 1
Records: Eckerd 4-8-1 (2-7-1 SSC); Barry 5-6-2 (4-5-1 SSC)
All-Time Series: Barry leads, 23-12-2

HOW IT HAPPENED
* The first half was rather uneventful for the first 40 minutes as both sides generated a few chances, but none were threatening.  That changed in the 43rd minute.  Cedric Pereira dropped a short pass to Westleigh Rush on the right wing.  Rush quickly crossed the ball into the six-yard-box where Robert Carter muscled past his defender and sent the ball into the net off a diving header.  It gave the Tritons a 1-0 lead at halftime.
* Eckerd added another goal early in the second half.  Juan David Tejada laid off a ball to Rush at the top of the box.  Rush took a touch to the right to create the space he needed, then ripped a shot under the crossbar and just out of the reach of Barry goalkeeper Marco Sordi for a 2-0 lead.
* The Buccaneers ended Alex Gott's bid for his 14th career clean sheet in the 59th minute.  Toby Fura dribbled deep down the left side, then centered a low cross to Ander Urkidi who one-timed the pass beyond the range of Gott inside the right post.
* Barry kept the ball in the attacking third for the next several minutes, but Gott and the Eckerd defense did not surrender an equalizer.  Possession began to even out and in the 87th minute, Eckerd made the Bucs pay for a mistake in their defensive third.  Niklas Sommerer intercepted a slow pass played back to Sordi, firing a shot past the diving keeper inside the left post.
* Things got chippy in the game's final minutes, resulting in two Barry players being shown straight red cards.  Cooler heads prevailed, however, and Sommerer nearly added a second goal in the final minute after once again getting behind the Buccaneer defense.  This time, Sordi redirected a shot under the crossbar and time expired before the Tritons could take another attempt.

NOTES AND NUMBERS
* Tonight's match was the final one for Eckerd's seven seniors: Alex Gott, Alexandre Coste, Wyeth Leemon, Matheus Assumpcao, Mo Jallow, Robert Labus and Gabriel Caetano.  Coste, Leemon, Assumpcao and Labus were all sidelined with injuries and did not get to play.
* Gott ended his career with 13.5 clean sheets, fourth-best in program history.
* Rush's goal and assist moved him into the team lead in points with 11.

QUOTABLE
"I'm proud of our team's fight until the end tonight.  We found ourselves in the same position we've been in most games this year, heading into halftime either ahead or level.  This time we finally saw the result out and didn't give many clear chances, which was good."

"It's been a privilege to work with the graduating class.  For Robert, Wyeth and Matheus, I feel for them that they were devastated by injuries this year.  The shortness of the college soccer season can be cruel.  All seven of these seniors served the program well and I wish them every success in serving society in their future endeavors." - EC head coach Ian Cameron