11/2/2024 | Men’s Soccer | Box Score
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic men’s soccer (7-5-3, 3-3-1 AAC) needed a win or a draw on Saturday night against Charlotte (8-2-5, 3-2-2 AAC) to secure a spot in the AAC Tournament. They got the win… and then some.
With a record-breaking crowd of 889 on hand, the Owls put on a show, scoring three times on each side of halftime to stun the 49ers by a 6-1 final and clinch home-field advantage in the AAC Quarterfinals next Friday.
Charlotte entered the night with the best defensive statistics in the AAC. It had been four games since they conceded a goal. They’d only given up six all season in 14 games. With the Owls’ first attempt, Noah Kvifte scored in the third minute. Two minutes later, Sebastian Zettl made it 2-0 with an attempt from distance, a few yards outside the penalty area.
After that, Charlotte settled in and controlled possession for a long stretch of the first half but failed to threaten the Owls’ goal. Conversely, FAU made all of its chances count. In the 41st minute, on a counterattack, Arthur Widiez sent a pass across the top of the penalty area and Jeremy Montero ran onto it and hit one-time. From nearly the same spot as Zettl’s goal, Montero picked the top corner for his first goal as an Owl.
Charlotte showed a brief sign of life with a goal just a few minutes into the second half. The Owls quickly dispelled hopes of a comeback attempt in the 60th minute. Callum Frogson headed home a Zettl free kick to restore the three-goal lead. Kvifte added his second of the night in the 67th minute. Finally, facing his former team for the first time, Aboubacar Traore put a bow on the scoring in the 72nd minute. The junior weaved through several CLT defenders and hit a bullet to the top left corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Widiez and Mamadou Diarra finished with two assists each. Zettl and Traore recorded a goal and an assist each. Zach Hassell, Kerfalla Toure, and Oliver Moller-Jensen also found their way onto the scoresheet with assists.
Charlotte actually finished the match with more shot attempts (9-8), but the Owls scored on six of their seven shots on goal. The 49ers could only put two shots on target against goalkeeper Francisco Ranieri.
Quotable
Postgame with @joeyworthen after the Owls hammer Charlotte 6-1 on senior night #WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/VOKBZm17ry– Florida Atlantic Men’s Soccer (@FAUMSoccer) November 3, 2024
What’s Next
As the four-seed, the Owls will now host the five-seed FIU in the AAC Quarterfinals next Friday. The start time is set for 7 p.m. at the FAU Soccer Stadium. With the men’s basketball game scheduled to start simultaneously, fans must arrive early and park in front of the Tom Oxley Center or the baseball parking lot.
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