Men’s soccer season comes to an end with loss to Lynn

By Jeremy Petty | gargoyle@flagler.edu

The Flagler College men’s soccer team played its final game of the season Nov. 19 as they lost to Lynn University in the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals. It was a close game with a lot of scoring chances recorded by each team, but Lynn edged out Flagler in penalty kicks winning 4-2.

As rain began to fall about an hour before the match started, it was clear that neither team was affected by the slick conditions. The goalkeepers prepared for skipping balls during warm-ups, but the rain stopped just before kickoff which made shots on the ground less of a problem.

Flagler started off strong within the first minutes of play by putting pressure on the defense and gaining three crosses into the box. But soon after, Harald Gracholski of Lynn received the ball in Flagler’s penalty area. After a couple of crossovers, he shot and the ball seemed to be deflected into the lower left side of Flagler’s net, giving Lynn a 1-0 advantage.

Flagler evened the score in the 53^rd minute when Will Frandsen headed the ball into the net from a cross by Pol Berenguer. While the game remained scoreless for the rest of the match, Flagler had to rely heavily on their goalkeeper Camp Bissell. There were quite a few unforced turnovers that led to point-blank shots from Lynn. One of those close shots happened in the 2^nd overtime when a player from Lynn turned into the top of the box undefended. He hit a rocket of a shot and Bissell quickly reacted to deflect it.

The shootout in overtime was the best start that Flagler could have hoped for. Bissell saved Lynn’s first shot and Frandsen converted for the Saints. But it quickly turned south for Flagler as they missed their next two attempts, one of which wasn’t on net when it was shot over the goal. Lynn didn’t miss after their first shot and they secured the victory.

It was a disappointing night for the Saints, but after the game concluded, supporters of the team gave them a standing ovation and cheered about their success throughout the season. Although they didn’t come away with a victory, Flagler’s season will be remembered as one of their best to date.