Patriots defeat Lions in last-minute scoring run
Photo by: Cullen Dore
MBA student and goalie for the Patriot men’s soccer team Adrea Scapolo looks for a teammate to take the ball up the field.
After an early lead from the Flagler College Lions and a twenty-minute stalemate, the Patriot men’s soccer team emerged victorious 3-1 after scoring twice in the last five minutes of the match at the Griffin Athletic Complex on Aug. 27.
“It was a very important victory for us,” Andrea Scapolo, Italian goalie for the men’s soccer team and MBA student, said. “We started off on the wrong foot, but we found a way back and put three goals in the back of the net.”
Scapolo led the Patriot defense against the Lions and contributed four saves to the match. After one goal from the Lions a few minutes before halftime, Scapolo successfully guarded the net against the opposing team.
“We got scored on, and it’s never simple to come back, especially when we did it in the last five minutes,” Scapolo said. “I think we deserved it.”
Once the Patriots evened the score during the 65th minute with junior business major Luis Villarreal’s goal assisted by Hugo Jonsson, Swedish native and MBA student, the Patriots and Lions battled for the winning goal.
After MBA student and Spanish native Alvaro Zamora received a penalty kick, the Patriots took the lead. However, the team ensured victory with an extra goal a minute later from junior sports management major Jhancarlo Palma. Zamora played the ball to MBA student and Spanish native Javier Bello, who took the ball to the corner and played it back inside to Zamora. Zamora found Palma in the box, allowing Palma to score.
“I think this is a huge step for the team,” Bello said. “Getting our first win at home gives us a lot of energy. We will try to keep that energy until the end of the season.”
After a long preseason, Bello said the team knows its objectives and is ready to work hard for them. With a relatively new roster, they are working toward improvements every day.
“Being with the new group of players was something very special because there’s a lot of talent, and we really hope to make it far,” Scapolo said. “Our mentality must be to win every game; only in this way will be able to achieve great results.”