THOMASVILLE, Ga. - Thomas hosts Florida Memorial on Saturday at TU Soccer Complex in the final Sun Conference (TSC) game of the regular season. Kickoff for the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game is set for 1 p.m. ET.
In addition to live stats, the match will be televised online through Night Hawks Television. Updates will also be available on Thomas' official men's soccer Twitter account (@NightHawksMSocc).
At halftime, Thomas players will wear unveil pink shirts to help raise awareness of the disease.Â
Saturday is also Senior Day for eight Thomas players -
Jesper Svall,
Richard Slaney,
Billy Jeffery,
Garrett Dunton,
Samuel Valencia,
Jonathan Lopez,
Kelly Botha,
Francesco Russo - who will be recognized starting at 12:45 p.m.
Game 16/Florida Memorial (1-9, 1-7 TSC) at Thomas (6-7-2, 4-2-2 TSC)
Saturday, Oct. 28 • 1 p.m. ET
Thomasville, Ga. • TU Soccer Complex
TV: Night Hawks Television
Live Stats: Night Hawks Television
Twitter Updates: @NightHawksMSocc
ABOUT THOMAS
The Night Hawks are coming off a 3-1 win at Southeastern (Fla.) on Wednesday in conference play.
Leo Thompson recorded his first career hat trick, as Thomas improved to 3-0-1 in its last four conference matches.
Despite outshooting the Fire 7-1 in the first half and 22-11 overall, Thomas did not get on the board until the 75th minute when Gavin Rochford-Smith played a pass to Sam Eyes who laid the ball off to Thompson. Thompson beat Southeastern netminder Jorge Navarrete for a second time in the 80th minute following a long pass from Jack Chambers. The third goal for Thompson came in the 87th minute off a Botha pass following a Chambers corner kick.
The Fire got on the board in the 88th minute on a penalty kick for the final margin.
Thompson ended with four shots on goal, and five Night Hawks had one each.
Goalkeeper Lee Howarth made two saves in 90 minutes for the victory.
Thomas held a 9-3 edge in both shots on goal and corner kicks.
ABOUT FLORIDA MEMORIAL
The Lions ended a 10-match losing streak with a 3-2 double overtime win at Webber International (Fla.) on Wednesday in conference action, as the two teams traded goals throughout the match.
An own goal gave Florida Memorial a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute.
The Warriors tied the affair in the 23rd minute before Jose Romero made the score 2-1 in favor of the Lions in the 31st minute.
Webber International again tied the game in the 84th minute, but Jordy Elera, with an assist by Luis Martinez-Flores, scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute.
Goalkeeper Gabriel Mateucci made 13 saves in 102:26 for the win.
The Lions rank ninth in the NAIA in most goals allowed per game (4.3) and 49th in saves per game (5.6).
Mateucci ranks 13th in the NAIA in saves per game (6.6).
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE LIONS
No. 6 Thomas defeated Florida Memorial, 2-1, in double overtime at TU Soccer Complex on Sept. 23, 2016.
Antonio Rodriguez converted a penalty kick in the 102nd minute for the game winner.
Jarrod Ingram recorded the first goal in the 26th minute off a pass from Severin Abt to give the Night Hawks a 1-0 edge.Â
Keven Guillen tied the game in the 39th minute.
In the second overtime, a Thomas attacking player was taken down in the 18-yard box by a Lions' defender and awarded a penalty kick, which Rodriguez buried for the final tally.
Howarth registered five saves in 101:50 for the win.
THE DANCE
Saturday's contest is pivotal for Thomas as it vies for a berth in the upcoming six-team TSC tournament. On Saturday:
1. if the Night Hawks win, SCAD Savannah (Ga.) upsets No. 15 Saint Thomas (Fla.) and Webber International (Fla.) upsets Keiser (Fla.), then Zambrano's team earns the No. 2 seed, a bye in the quarterfinal round and hosts a semifinal game on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
1. if the Night Hawks win, Saint Thomas defeats SCAD Savannah and Keiser defeats Webber International, then Zambrano's team hosts a quarterfinal game as the No. 3 seed Saturday, Nov. 4.
2. if the Night Hawks, Seahawks and Bees all win, then Zambrano's squad hosts a quarterfinal game as the No. 4 seed Saturday, Nov. 4.
3. If Thomas loses Saturday, then the season ends without a tournament appearance.
4. If Thomas' game ends in a tie, then help is needed to qualify for the tournament field.
| School |
TSC |
| Saint Thomas (Fla.) |
8-0 |
| Keiser (Fla.) |
5-3 |
| SCAD Savannah (Ga.) |
5-3 |
| Thomas |
4-2-2 |
| Johnson & Wales (Fla.) |
4-3-1 |
| Southeastern (Fla.) |
4-3-1 |
| Warner (Fla.) |
4-3-1 |
| Ave Maria (Fla.) |
1-5-2 |
| Florida Memorial |
1-7 |
| Webber International (Fla.) |
0-7-1 |
THOMPSON THE MAGICIAN
In Wednesday's win at Southeastern, Thompson became the first Night Hawk to record a hat trick since Juan Figueroa posted three goals against Keiser (Fla.) on Nov. 8, 2016. Before Thompson, the last Night Hawk to post a hat trick on the road was Ingram at Ave Maria (Fla.) on Oct. 13, 2016.
SENIOR SUCCESS
The six seniors being honored Saturday have helped guide the Night Hawks to 50 wins overall, one TSC regular-season championship, one league tournament title and two berths in the NAIA National Championship in the last four seasons.
SUDDEN DEATH
Following the Oct. 21 tie at Johnson & Wales (Fla.), coach Ricky Zambrano's group improved to 9-0-4 in its last 13 games that have gone into extra time.
THOMAS IN 22NDÂ SEASONÂ
The 2017 campaign marks the 22nd in the history of Thomas men's soccer.Â
The Night Hawks have reached the NAIA National Championship three times (2013, 2014, 2016) in the last four seasons and are coming off a second round appearance in 2016. Thomas is 1-2-1 all-time in the tournament.
Thomas has been a member of The Sun Conference since 2012 and is 37-12-5 in league play. The Night Hawks won The Sun Conference Tournament championship in 2013 and 2014 and the league's regular-season title in 2016.
ZAMBRANOÂ AT THE HELM
In his 17th season as a collegiate head coach and 13th at the helm of Thomas, Zambrano is 176-117-22 overall, including 129-87-19 with the Night Hawks. He has the most wins as a coach in Thomas history.
NAIA STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Thompson ranks 17th in the NAIA in shots per game (4.3), 30th in goals (12), 34th in points (30) and 41st in goals per game (2.1).
DAUNTING SCHEDULE
Six of Thomas' original opponents rank in the latest NAIA top 25 – No. 8 Mobile (Ala.), No. 9 Georgia Gwinnett, No. 10 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), No. 12 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 15 Saint Thomas and No. 19 Dalton State (Ga.). One other - Bryan (Tenn.) - is receiving votes. The Night Hawks are 0-4 against the top 25 this season, having lost to then-No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett, then-No. 11 Bryan, then-No. 13 Mobile and then-No. 17 Saint Thomas (the home match against then-No. 23 Lindsey Wilson was suspended in the second half due to lightning with the game tied at two). Thomas is 1-4 against the current top 25, having defeated Vanguard but lost to Dalton State, Mobile, Saint Thomas and Georgia Gwinnett.
Three of those opponents - Bryan, Georgia Gwinnett, Saint Thomas - reached the NAIA National Championship last season.
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
Zambrano's group is represented by 16 countries on this year's roster - the United States, England, Sweden, Ireland, Wales, Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, Italy, Canada, Spain, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Bolivia and Australia.
