ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Soccer secured a home match in the upcoming MAC Freedom Tournament with a convincing 5-0 win over the visiting FDU-Florham Devils (6-8-2, 1-4-1). Five different Eastern players scored goals as the program honored senior Jake Sankey before the match.

How It happened:
After a little bit of a slow start, the Eagles began to build pressure as the half progresses. Reserves came on to finish the half and lifted the level. 

The pressure finally paid off in the 41st minute. Jeremy Barnes-Bey got a ball on the right side on an Eastern restart. The rookie cracked a low serve into the scoring area that popped into the air off the foot of a defender. Alex McGlynn challenged for the high floating ball at the goal line and jarred it free. Blaise Verna reacted well and slid to push the ball into the back of the net for his first tally this season. 

Three minutes later McGlynn and Verna got involved in Eastern's second goal. McGlynn ventured forward an inside from his left back position and after receiving a pass from Barnes-Bey slipped a ball into the box. Verna reached the pass just before the enplane and slid a first-time pass back toward the penalty spot. Gabriel Velazquez timed his run perfectly and hammered home his first collegiate goal.

Eastern had a decided edge in possession and field position through the first half but only held a 6-4 edge in shots through 45 minutes. Anthony Hitchcock made three of his four saves in the first half.

The Devils came out of their defensive shell a little more in the second half and had more possession in higher spaces, but Eastern took advantage of bigger open spaces to create more chances. 

The Eagles had several dangerous chances on restarts and in the run of play. Sankey came through on an overlap but was stopped by a strong save from FDU goalkeeper Tiernan Gray. Verna nearly had a second on a super serve from the left side by Nik Kokolios, but the cross skidded past his sliding effort.

The Eagles finally found the third goal on a Kokolios serve in the 83rd minute. After a driving run up the left side, the rookie forward sliced a ball back into the scoring area. Sam Sutherland converted with a low shot. 

Julio Ardon picked up his fourth of the year on a 25-yard shot in the 88th minute. Derek Buhrman added a final tally on a shot that deflected off an FDU defender in the 90th minute.

Coach Payne Says:
"Jake is so much more than an impactful player. He is the leader and captain of our program and has been a leader since stepping on campus as a freshman. Jake's legacy will be much more about who he is as a person and the influence and impact that he had at Eastern. " 

"Jake is a great representative of Eastern University and the Eastern Men's Soccer Program. He is a great role model for current and future student-athletes. He will be remembered for how he seeks excellence in every area of his life and how he is well rounded as an individual: athletically, academically, and relationally. Jake's 3.948 GPA is the top GPA in the program. He will be remembered by his selfless leadership. He is always willing to put the program and his teammates before himself."

"We are happy to have clinched a home playoff game with our win today and with some of the results around he conference. We are also happy to score multiple goals while maintaining a shutout. We were not perfect, but it's great anytime you can do that. "

"We had two goals in the first half by substitutions. Everybody can contribute and have an impact in our program, regardless of playing time or if you start or not. We want to get contributions from throughout our roster and it is great to see players take advantage of chances."

"I thought there were areas where we can improve and grow. We didn't start the game well and it took us a while to get a hold on the game. We will need to start our next game with more enthusiasm and energy. In the 2nd half, there was a lot of space to play behind and counter. I thought we allowed the game to get too stretched and we went forward too many times at the wrong time. When we are leading in the 2nd half, we don't need more goals to win the game. Do we want them, of course. But not at the expense of getting stretched and not valuing the ball."

"We have a whole week to prepare for Stevens. We are healthy. We will be prepared with the right amount of training and rest. We want to get better in this week, but we also want to get our legs back under us and be fresh."

Up Next:
The Eagles are four points clear of third-place Misericordia with one match to play. The Cougars will play DeSales next Saturday in what will likely be an elimination match. Eastern (9-8-1, 5-1) is a half game behind league-leader Stevens Institute of Technology. The Eagles will play at Stevens next Saturday and can secure the top seed with a win. King's has 10 points and can secure a spot in the tournament with a win over FDU-Florham next weekend or a Misericordia win.