Juan Parada’s goal with 3 minutes and seven seconds remaining in the first overtime lifted Eastern Florida’s men’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Florida Memorial University’s junior varsity on Tuesday. (Eastern Florida image)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Juan Parada’s goal with 3 minutes and seven seconds remaining in the first overtime lifted Eastern Florida’s men’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Florida Memorial University’s junior varsity on Tuesday.
The non-conference victory at the Titan Soccer Complex on the Melbourne Campus lifted the No. 3 nationally ranked Titans to 8-0-2 on the season and improved their home record to 17-0-2 in their third season as a program.
Florida Memorial, despite playing a man down for the final 36:53 of regulation and the first 6:53 of overtime, was stout defensively.
And when Eastern Florida did get chances it couldn‘t convert until Parada struck gold. The two best opportunities came on Luke Ferreira’s missed penalty kick – brought on by a handball in the goal which resulted in a red card ejection at the 36:53 mark of the second half – and a Titans shot that bounced off the post with 1:07 to play in regulation.
Undaunted Eastern Florida continued to press until Ferreira fed Parada for the winner.
Meanwhile Eastern Florida’s backline held up well, allowing Florida Memorial few chances. When called upon goalkeeper Kekuta Jatta denied the visitors to record his third shutout of the season.
Oliver Twelvetrees
“The boys kept working right to the end and we were looking for a bit of quality and it took us 96 minutes to have one bit of quality and Juan did have that bit of quality,” said Eastern Florida head coach Oliver Twelvetrees.
“That’s a positive and a clean sheet, I suppose that’s another positive. We’ve got to learn from it, keep working and get better.”
Parada saw the big picture.
“It was an amazing goal,” he said. “We needed to win so we did everything we could. Everyone pushed each other, played as a team. It was hard work. We got the job done. That’s what matters.”
The Titans next travel to Pembroke Pines for a 1 p.m. Friday match with Florida College System Activities Association/NJCAA Region 8 foe ASA Miami.
The teams played to a 1-1 double overtime tie in Melbourne on Sept. 27 and the Titans need a victory to stay ahead of ASA and Broward College in the three-team race for the one postseason berth.
Eastern Florida beat Broward 2-0 on Sept. 25 in Melbourne giving it four points – three for a win and one for a tie – to one for ASA and none for Broward.
Each team plays each other three times to determine which one advances. Broward plays ASA on Oct. 13, 19 and 25.
Eastern Florida plays ASA for the third time on Oct. 23 on the road and plays Broward on Oct. 16 in Pembroke Pines and Oct. 30 in Melbourne.
