Sea Devils Fall to NCAA Opponent in First Official Matchup
In Short: CFCC Men's Soccer endured their first loss of the season to the attack-heavy Mount Olive Trojans.
Highlights:
The Sea Devils traveled to Mount Olive, NC to compete in a regular season matchup against the NCAA Division II Mount Olive Trojans JV team. Cape Fear was excited to be traveling for their first legitimate matchup of the season, but had initial difficulties with focus and communication when they initially stepped onto the pitch.
The Trojans continued to catch the Sea Devils on their back foot as the Cape Fear defense struggled to lock things down in the first half. However, the Sea Devils made a few organized attacks throughout the match to put points on the board and keep up with the Trojans' pacing.
Cape Fear's first goal came from a penalty kick earned by returning Sophomore Seanpaul Negron who engaged his defender in a 1v1 before placing one in. Negron in turn assisted returning Sophomore Marcello Afonso to set the score in a 2-2 tie at the half.
The Trojans entered the second half with solid communication and coordinated attacks against the Sea Devils that led to two more goals within the first few minutes. The Sea Devils walked away with a 4-2 loss against their NCAA opponent and are utilizing this experience as a marker for how much room they have to grow this season.
"We didn't play with the passion and desire necessary to win at this level on the defensive side of the ball," remarks Head Men's Soccer coach Dave Martin. "We played well enough offensively, but UMO capitalized on their opportunities."
Up Next: The Sea Devils will compete in their first home matchup of the season against Johnson & Wales Charlotte at North Campus Soccer Field on Friday, August 9th at 1:30 PM
