WINTER PARK, Fla. (October 5, 2022) - On a perfect evening for soccer, the Rollins Tars came back from an early 1-0 hole to take home a 2-1 win over the Nova Southeastern Sharks on Wednesday evening. The win moves Rollins to 7-2-1 (3-2 SSC) on the year, while Nova Southeastern falls to 4-3-3 (3-2-1 SSC).
The Sharks lived up to their namesake with an aggressive start to the game. They showcased a fantastic combination of beautiful passing and speed on the outside to control the pace of the game. After a pair of yellow cards (one to each team) slowed the pace a bit, Nova was able to come through. Following a save from keeper Eduardo D'Avino, the Sharks hustled up field. Milos Christoforou fed Nick Brisevac with a lovely touch in the box, but instead of shooting at the oncoming
Maximillian Obermeier, he sent the ball left to the cutting Tommy Maguire who found the back of the net to give Nova a 1-0 lead.
The goal seemed to flip a switch inside the Tars, as they turned into a different team following the score. In the 27 minute, a foul was charged to Nova about 25 feet from the goal.
Nazar Tsaruk's number was called to take the free kick, and he did so beautifully with a laser beam that made its way past the diving D'Avino on the right side of the net. It was the sophomore's third goal of the season.
The two teams went into half tied at one each. Rollins outshot Nova 8-5, and also outfouled the Sharks, 9-2. Each keeper recorded three saves in the first half.
Coming out of the break, both teams started to get a little chippy on the pitch. However, the referee let the boys play for the most part, leading to multiple exciting chances for both sides. The passing in particular was impressive for each squad, but the two keepers kept their opponent at bay. That is until the 78th minute when
Jari Polm found a cutting
Georgios Koliniatis who smashed a right-footed blast over the arm of D'Avino to give the Tars the lead (and the final score) of 2-1.
Rollins ended up outshooting the Sharks 16-9, thanks in large part to Koliniatis who let rip a whopping eleven time in the game (five on goal). Obermeier totaled five saves in the win, including a big one in the 79th minute in a one on one situation.
Next up for the Tars is another home match on Wednesday, October 12 against the #6 Florida Tech Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
