Wilmington, NC (August 15, 2023) - Cape Fear Men's Soccer took the pitch this Friday afternoon to take on the Howard CC Dragons (NJCAA Division II, Region 20) at North Campus Soccer Field. After a well-fought exhibition match against NCAA Division II Shaw University, the Sea Devils stepped onto the field with something to prove.

In the first half of the match, the Sea Devils held their composure as they worked the ball around their back line, but struggled to maintain possession in attacking transition. But a few misplaced balls and communication errors did not affect the tenacity of the Sea Devils on the pitch. Eventually, Cape Fear began to find their rhythm and were able to not only minimize turnovers moving up the pitch, but also end the Dragon's attacking spells quickly and decisively. The Sea Devils ended the half 0-0, but with a few solid attacking runs to keep the energy positive moving into the second half.

Cape Fear more than doubled their shooting attempts in the second half - with Emilio Roman making great runs and Alex Flores taking 3 and earning one for the Sea Devils. Ricky Garcia was the first to get the Sea Devils on the board off of a corner play midway through the half. The squad kept their foot on the gas until the end of regulation and finished with a strong 2-0 victory.

"Super happy for the boys getting their first victory of the season. It's all about them and I'm super happy for them," says Head Men's Soccer Coach Giovanni Vlahos. "Credit to our defense and goalkeeper for sure. We've created a family and their work ethic is something to celebrate."

The Men's Soccer team will play out their last exhibition match of the season at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC on Monday, August 28 at 7 PM.