Panthers Stalemate Knights
LAURINBURG, N.C. (Men’s Soccer) – Playing with two additional players recently cleared, the Panthers gave the St. Andrews
Presbyterian Knights all they could handle in a 1-1 tie that stretched into double overtime.
Freshmen Tyson Eyo and
Dean Faithfull were able
to see their first playing time as Florida Tech Panthers. It didn’t take long for them to establish their presence. Eyo was able to register an assist on a
pass that freshman forward Adam
Busshaus scored only 10:35 into the match.
“We had a pretty fair performance,” head coach Robin Chan said. “We
performed much better. Tyson and Dean had a good impact on the team as a whole.”
While Eyo played a part in an early goal, Chan said Faithfull gave the team more stability and leadership. The team also saw a return to action for one of
the team leaders, senior defender Don
Rhoads.
The Panthers continued their strong showing throughout the first half registering three more shots and four more corner kicks than the Knights.
In the second half Florida Tech tried to gain the same rhythm the team experienced in the first. However, it proved difficult with persistent whistles for
offsides and cautions. A takedown in the box of Knight player Justin Garton resulted in a penalty kick with which the player was able to score.
The Panthers were whistled for four yellow cards in the second half and one in the first overtime. Two of the cards were pulled on graduate student
Bello Illiassou, the
second coming toward the end of regulation time in the 88th minute that even the Kinghts’ coach questioned.
“The whistles can be a little frustrating, but mainly because they just disrupted the flow of the game,” Chan said.
For the remaining time of regulation and throughout both overtime periods, the Panthers were forced to only field 10 players as a result of Illiassou’s
second card. Playing with a man down, the Panthers were able to hold the Knights scoreless in the overtime periods resulting in the 1-1 tie.
