Air Force Academy
Florida Gulf Coast
Air Force Upends No. 23 FGCU, 3-2
8/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. - A trio of goals propelled the Falcons to a 3-2 win over the 23rd-ranked Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, Sunday afternoon, at Cadet Soccer Stadium. The win marks Air Force's first time beating a top-25 program since defeating No. 8 New Mexico, 1-0, in 2012.
Junior midfielder Tucker Bone notched his first goal of the season in an unassisted goal in the 10th minute with a laser beam off a deflection from 15 yards out. Junior midfielder Klint Parker extended the Falcons' lead to 2-0 with two-touch assist by way of Jaric Marton and Luis Martinez in the 16th minute. Marton's assist marks his second of the season, enough for most on the squad.
The Eagles' Robert Ferrer put FGCU on the board with help from Jiro Barriga Toyama in the 26th minute. The teams closed the first have at 2-1 in favor of Air Force. The Falcons took 11 first half shots to FGCU's six.
Seven minutes into the second half Parker delivered his second goal via Trey Pujats assist. Parker's pair of goals puts him ahead of all teammates in the season goal-count.
With the score at 3-1 in the final five minutes of the match, the Eagles' Dennis Zapata injected some life into the squad as he plugged a goal in via Miguel Perez's assist. The Falcons rallied and held off the FGCU comeback until the final whistle sounded, sealing the deal at 3-2.
"I was happy the way we came out in the second half, said head coach Doug Hill. "We made some things happen and got the insurance goal that we needed."
John Wendt notched his second victory in goal for the Falcons this season. Wendt registered three saves against six shots faced on goal. At the conclusion of the match, Air Force outshot FGCU, 17-11. Danny Han and Austin Dewing led the Falcons with three shots apiece while Parker led the team with two shots on goal.
"The game plan worked for us," continued Hill. "Overall it was good performance for the first weekend, we're happy with the results and we're going to build from here."
The Falcons continue action at home with a pair of matches against Drake, Fri., Sept. 1 at 5:00 p.m., and Furman, Sun., Sept. 3 at noon. A live stream and live stats will be provided for both matches.
