HATTIESBURG, Miss. – William Carey controlled play from start to finish Wednesday night at Danny Owens Field, defeating Florida National 2-0.
Following a nearly 30-minute lightning delay, the Crusaders quickly established possession and dictated the tempo throughout the match. The Carey defense limited the Conquistadors to just one shot in the opening half, while the Crusader attack generated nine shots, including eight on target.
Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, William Carey found the breakthrough only once in the first half. In the 16th minute,
Teddy Miranda launched a long ball from the back line to
Daniel Mulero, who flicked a perfectly timed header into the path of
Pedro Sao Tiago. Tiago collected the pass in stride, drove into the box, and slipped a shot past the diving goalkeeper and into the bottom corner to give WCU a 1-0 lead.
Florida National increased its intensity after halftime in search of an equalizer, but the Crusader back line remained organized and composed. Carey continued to control possession and create chances, though a second goal remained elusive for much of the half.
The insurance goal finally came in the 81st minute. With the Conquistadors pushing numbers forward,
Fabian Arroyo won a loose ball in the midfield and played a well-weighted pass behind the defense to
Souleymane Balde. Balde capitalized on the opportunity, finishing calmly to extend the lead to 2-0 and put the match out of reach.
William Carey returns to action Saturday afternoon when it hosts Williams Baptist at Danny Owens Field. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
