THE JUNGLE SOCCER COMPLEX | MOBILE, Ala. - Just three days after claiming the 2023 SSAC Men's Soccer Regular Season Championship, the University of Mobile Men's Soccer team closed out the non-conference portion of the regular season on Tuesday night, Oct. 24, dominating Pensacola Christian College (Fla.) in the process. Mobile put up seven goals against the Eagles of PCC, eventually winning the match 7-1 to advance to 10-2-2 overall this season. Additionally, the win moves the Rams' current win streak to eight consecutive matches.
Match Recap: Mobile on Cruise Control
The Rams opened Tuesday night's match on fire, recording the first shot of the night less than 30 seconds after kickoff. The opening shot was saved by Pensacola Christian goalkeeper Bryce Hammond, but the Mobile attack only intensified from there. Just 30 seconds after the opening shot, Mobile was on the scoreboard in the second minute as Joseph McMahon collected a ricochet inside the box and shot one to the right of Hammond. McMahon's match-opening goal is his third score this season.
Mobile Head Coach Daniel Whelan mixed his starting lineup on Tuesday night, resting several regulars. With the lineup looking a tad different, more opportunities arose for players who have played less minutes this season. This includes Jeb Scarbrough, who played in just his fourth match of the season on Tuesday after a preseason injury kept him out of action through the first half of the season. Scarbrough gave the Rams a 2-0 lead in the 26th minute after a cross from Guilherme Canas Lopes who earned the assist. The Scarbrough - Canas Lopes combination was not through there, however, as the two combined again for Mobile's fourth goal of the night just 55 seconds out of halftime.
Rewinding back to Scarbrough's first score of the night, Jman Dieng managed to tally Mobile's third goal of the match in the 28th minute. Dieng's goal came after a cross from Samuel Mutiri, who collected the assist. The Rams went to halftime with a 3-0 lead, taking 12 shots alone in the first 45 minutes.
After Scarbrough's second goal of the night less than a minute after halftime, true freshman Noah Miller took it upon himself to score Mobile's fifth goal in the 49th minute. Miller dribbled his way from midfield past four defenders, eventually lasering a shot to the top left corner of the net for the score. Up 5-0, Daniel Whelan began emptying his bench with the match in check.
In the 64th minute, Tom Carles put Mobile up six with his first goal of the season. However, after miscommunication between Mobile defenders and starting goalkeeper Sam MacDonald, the Eagles avoided the shutout and notched their lone goal of the match in the 81st minute. The Rams managed to answer the PCC goal, tacking on the seventh and final goal of the match with just four seconds remaining in regulation. Ismael Castillo connected with his first collegiate goal as time expired, with Samuel Vergara earning just his second-career assist, first of the 2023 campaign.
Mobile finished Tuesday night with 25 shots taken, 12 of which were on target. Joseph McMahon led the team with five shots recorded, followed by Jeb Scarbrough and Tom Carles who each tallied four shots. For Sam MacDonald in net, the junior Scottish keeper did not have to work hard against the Eagles in his first start of the season as Pensacola Christian only took two shots during the entire 90 minutes. The lone shot-on-goal for the Eagles was their only goal scored.
Senior Day Ahead as Regular Season Comes to a Close
Mobile is set for the final match of the regular season on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 28, hosting Faulkner University (Ala.) at the Jungle. Saturday's match is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT, with senior day festivities being held pregame.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams (Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
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.
