MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner extended its win streak to seven with a 4-1 win Saturday afternoon at Billy D. Hilyer Stadium in a dominant win over Middle Georgia State.
Caio Pereira started the party in the 22nd minute with a screamer into the top left corner from 30 yards out to score the go-ahead goal. It was his fourth goal of the season. After a couple of really good chances that went awry,
Leo Freire dribbled down the left sideline before taking a long touch and running outside the boundaries around the defender before getting back on the ball and finding
Antoine Marques in open acreage. Marques buried the chance and doubled the lead in the 41st minute.
After limiting the Knights to just one shot in the second half until this point, Marques doubled Faulkner's advantage in the 75th minute spinning a bouncing shot across the line after a nice outside foot cross from Freire to the opposite post where
Gabriel Rokbrand squared the first touch for the first-touch goal from the program's all-time leading goal scorer. Marques sits tied second in the NAIA for goals, along with
Julio Souza, and is also tied for third in points.
In the 82nd minute, Freire scored his second goal of the year, shouldering in a perfectly weighted cross from center back José Lucca in his Faulkner debut.
Middle Georgia scraped a consolation goal in the 85th minute, but the defense was otherwise lock-tight once again from the Eagles who allowed just three shots on goal. Through eight games, Faulkner has allowed just 22 shots on goal.
Matteo Scarduzio made a fantastic stop as time ran close to expiration to preserve the fact that the Eagles have not allowed multiple goals in a match all season.
Faulkner's goal difference still remains second-best in the nation out-scoring opposition by 32 goals, an average of four per match.
The Eagles are 2-0 in SSAC play for the first time in program history and are eight matches unbeaten for the first time ever as well. The seven match win streak is also the program's best.
Faulkner looks to keep it rolling against Point next Saturday night in a road match.
