Florida Tech Panthers Win First NCAA Tournament Game In 26 Years, Defeat West Florida 2-1

By  //  November 24, 2019

first NCAA Tournament win since 1993

This environment and energy from the stands helped power Tech to a 2-1 win over the Argos, the first NCAA Tournament victory since 1993 for the program. (FIT Image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – It was an electric atmosphere at Rick Stottler Field on Saturday night as almost 500 fans attended the NCAA Tournament Second Round match between Florida Tech and West Florida.

This environment and energy from the stands helped power Tech to a 2-1 win over the Argos, the first NCAA Tournament victory since 1993 for the program.

Guillermo Segovia and Stian Hagboe Olsen accounted for the two tallies for the Panthers, while Craig McCall, Brandon Smalley and Luca Campanini all picked up assists in the game.

Jason Fesquet put on a brilliant performance, including a number of clutch plays at the end, to secure the Panthers’ victory. His final tally was three saves and one goal conceded.

The first half score did not tell the story of the 45 minutes as the Panthers dictated the pace from start to finish.

It looked like the men were going to strike first as they beat the keeper about 20 minutes into the match but the referees deemed the attacking player to be offsides. Then, a few minutes later the Argonauts found the back of the net off a rebound shot to grab a 1-0 lead at the 38th minute.

The Crimson and Gray picked up the pace in the second half as they had West Florida on their heels right from the whistle. Segovia got the rally started when he found the back of the net from 25 yards outs to tie it up at 1-1. The Panthers then struck again to corral their first lead of the night in the 69th minute as Campanini whipped in a cross off an Argonauts foul that connected with Olsen’s head and found the left side netting.

The Panthers fended off the Argos late surge and held on to the 2-1 advantage as the final horn sounded. Florida Tech will now move on to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years.

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“UWF was a tough opponent tonight as expected at this stage,” said head coach Robin Chan. “I’m very proud of this group of boys and the staff. They have worked incredibly hard all season to get to this point and fully deserve to continue in the tournament.

“Want to give a shoutout to our students and alumni in the crowd, they were fantastic and I think the boys put in a performance to match!”

Florida Tech will now turn its sights to Lynn in about two weeks. This match will take place in Boca Raton, Florida.

For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech men’s soccer team, visit FloridaTechSports.com.

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