MOBILE, Ala. - In the highly anticipated SSAC Men's Soccer Game of the Week, the 12th-ranked Crusaders of William Carey came to town to battle the No. 4 Mobile Rams at the Jungle. In what was the largest crowd of the season at the Jungle for the University of Mobile's Homecoming weekend, William Carey managed an upset win over the Rams, claiming victory, 1-0.
The loss for Mobile is just the second loss on the season, dropping the overall record to 11-2-1. Mobile entered Saturday in first-place in the SSAC Men's Soccer standings, but the loss to William Carey allowed the Crusaders to jump the Rams in the standings to first. In the process, Dalton State also managed to jump Mobile in the standings following the Roadrunners' win Saturday night. Both Dalton State and William Carey handed Mobile the two losses of the 2022 campaign.
How It Happened
After a quiet first half that saw just seven shots taken through the first 45 minutes between both teams, it was William Carey who scored the lone goal for the victory in the 63rd minute. The Rams committed a costly foul just outside the box, which set up William Carey's Juan Ruiz Cabello with a strike over the gloves of Mobile goalkeeper Ty Turner.
Before the Crusader goal, Mobile seemed to be in control of the match despite the scoreless affair. The Rams were controlling possession and even out-shot William Carey 10-7 across the full 90 minutes played. Four of Mobile's 10 shots were on target, but saved by the Crusaders' goalkeeper.
Mobile's Maxime Benoit and Jose Sanabria led the Rams with three shots taken each, with two of Sanabria's shots on-goal. Ty Turner picked up one save as William Carey managed just two shots on goal, including the game-winner.
One Regular Season Match Remains
Following Saturday's loss, No. 4 Mobile will likely drop a few spots in the next NAIA Men's Soccer Top 25 Coaches' Poll set to be released this upcoming Wednesday, and will return to the pitch for the regular season finale on Thursday, Oct. 27. Mobile will travel to Blue Mountain, Miss. for a 7:30 p.m. CT match against Blue Mountain College and are heavily favored against the Toppers.
The Rams will hope for a William Carey and/or Dalton State loss next week in order to earn a first-round BYE in the upcoming SSAC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. If Mobile holds as the three-seed, the Rams will host a first-round match at home sometime from Nov. 3-5.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
