Not even a torrential downpour stopped the Saint Leo men’s soccer team from honoring teammate Jules Verdin with a resounding 5-1 victory Sat. Sept. 12, against Warner University.
Following a 30 minute delay due to lightning in the area, there was a moment of silence held for Verdin, who passed away earlier this summer.
“Coming back here and playing our first home game in front of our own fans, kind of for him, was really nice. It kind of gets us going, this whole season is pretty much devoted to him,” said senior captain Matt Campbell.
What followed was an exhibition in sound team play. Three players netted goals for the Lions, two apiece from juniors Maximilian Schulze-Geisthovel and Matthias Katerna, and the first goal of the night, from junior Bafou Sanogo. They were aided with two assists from Campbell, who connected with two flawless crosses, allowing both Schulze-Geisthovel and Katerna easy goals.
With these two goals, Katerna now has five goals in the three games played this season, a phenomenal start to the young season.
Head Coach Keith Fulk talked about the way his team played, especially the first half, in which the Lions scored four of their five goals.
“I was pleased with the effort, especially in the first half, and the mentality, once we went up we continued to jump on them and continued to go forward and continue to want to score, that was a big thing,” said Fulk.
Freshman goalkeeper James White was left mostly alone, dealing with only three shots on goal, managing a stop on two before giving up a rebound goal.
“It’s hard for a goalkeeper when your team dominates possession and you have to try and stay switched on the whole half, that’s very important, playing in goal,” said White.
White found a way to stay connected with the game, shouting directions and encouragement to his teammates down the field. Acting like an on field coach, his guidance helped the Lions dominate possession, which showed in the 12-3 shot on goal differential, something that made it practically impossible for Warner to recover.
The Lions (2-1) seek to continue their two game winning streak in a tough game at #1 Lynn University, Sept. 19. Their next home game will be Sept. 26, against Barry University.
