Francis Marion Wins Men's Soccer Championship

By Michael Hawkins, Francis Marion

FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore forward Juan Rivas scored twice, including an insurance goal with 3:17 remaining, to hand Francis Marion University the 2008 Peach Belt Conference regular-season championship with a 3-1 win over Lander University, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 1) in men’s soccer action.

Francis Marion (11-4-3, 5-0-1) captures its first PBC title since 2002 and its third this decade while extending its unbeaten streak to 12 matches – 10 wins and two ties. That streak equals the second-longest in team history, only surpassed by a 17-match streak in 2000. Saturday’s win also snapped a seven-match losing skid to Lander and was the Patriots’ first victory over the Bearcats in Florence since 1999. Lander drops to 10-3-1 and 4-1-0 and finishes tied with Clayton State University for second place in the PBC standings.

By virtue of the win, second-year head coach Kevin Varnado’s FMU squad receives a first-round bye in next week’s Peach Belt Tournament and will next play in the semifinals on Friday (Nov. 7) in Augusta, Ga. Lander will host a first-round tournament match on Tuesday. The Patriots were picked to finish fifth in the preseason PBC coaches’ poll.

Twenty minutes after being honored on Senior Day, defender Willie Hunt gave Francis Marion a 1-0 advantage at the 19:39 mark. The 5-11 Greer native leapt high into the air to head in a corner kick from Adrian Sikorski.

Lander nearly tied the match in the 39th minute. FMU sophomore goalkeeper Clark Richeson came out to challenge for a ball but could not control it, leaving Lander’s Adam Arthur with a shot at an open net from 17 yards out. However the junior forward pushed his attempt just outside the right post.

The lead grew to 2-0 only 5:25 into the second stanza as Rivas scored on a rebound shot. Sikorski possessed the ball on the left side of the box and fed a great pass to Ivan Juric, but his shot from 13 yards out bounced off the right post. However, Rivas was there to knock in the loose ball.

Richeson kept the margin at two goals with a spectacular leaping save on a shot by Lander’s K.C. Dunbaker in the 75th minute. Lander did trim the margin to 2-1 at the 76:19 mark when a cross by Dunbaker from the right side found Aaron Brittain for an 11-yard scoring shot directly in front of the goal. The goal was Brittain’s 12th of the year tying him for the PBC lead.

Rivas then produced the game-clinching score at the 86:43 mark. After winning the ball deep in the Lander offensive end, Sikorski stroked a long outlet pass down the left sideline to a streaking Rivas. The Clearwater, Fla., native went straight to goal and deftly placed a 15-yard shot into the upper right corner of the netting. It was his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Francis Marion outshot the Bearcats 19-9 and led 13-4 in shots-on-goal, while also holding a slim 6-5 lead in corner kicks.

Richeson finished with three saves, while Lander senior goalkeeper Billy Hale registered 10 stops.

Lander University (10-3-1 , 4-1-0) vs. Francis Marion Univ. (11-4-3 , 5-0-1)

Date: Nov 01, 2008 Attendance: 180

Weather: Clear, 72 degrees, Beautiful

Goals by period 1 2 Tot

-------------------------------

Lander University... 0 1 - 1

Francis Marion Univ. 1 2 - 3


SCORING SUMMARY:

1-0. 19:39 FMU Hunt, Willie (3) (Sikorski, Adrian) - leaping header off corner kick

2-0. 50:25 FMU Rivas, Juan (7) (Juric, Ivan) - follow up on rebound

3-0. 76:19 LU Brittain, Aaron (12) (Dunbaker, K.C.) - 11 yd shot from in front

4-0. 86:43 FMU Rivas, Juan (8) (Sikorski, Adrian) - long clearance up line straight to goal


Shots: Lander 9, Francis Marion 19 ; Saves: Lander 10 (Hale, Billy 10), Francis Marion 3 (Richeson, Clark 3)