ATLANTA, Ga. – The LSU Eunice Men's Soccer team had a dominant weekend in Atlanta as the ninth-ranked Bengals scored a pair of shutout wins in games over back-to-back days this weekend. The weekend in Georgia kicked off a six-game road swing for the Bengals.
LSUE used a fast start on Friday to shut out USC Lancaster 4-0, followed by a 3-0 decision over Lanier Soccer Academy on Saturday. The Bengals' game with Spartanburg Methodist was canceled due to the Pioneers not being able to make the trip to Silverbacks Park in Atlanta.
The doubleheader wraps up an opening week of the season that saw the Bengals outscore their opponents 9-0. LSU Eunice is back in action Friday, September 1 with a 7:00PM road date against Division II No. 4 Jones College.
Friday, August 25 vs. USC Lancaster – W, 4-0
LSU Eunice struck for an opening goal in the first moments of the game and the Bengals never looked back, taking an impressive 4-0 decision over USC Lancaster to open LSUE's stay at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta.
Alcibiades "Junior" Duran, Jr. (New Orleans, LA, East Jefferson HS) provided the fireworks with a long distance bomb, rifling a shot from more than 25 yards away on a Bengals' unsettled situation. It only took 10 more minutes for LSU Eunice to find the back of the net again as
Yvan-Noel Muenyi (Baton Rouge, LA, Baton Rouge Magnet HS) struck another from beyond the 18-yard box. A cross field pass by
Derick Bernard (Houston, TX, Atascocita HS) found Muenyi wide open as his left foot was able to get past the keeper to the near side, making it 2-0 in LSU Eunice's favor.
LSU Eunice would end the half like it started it – scoring a goal. It was
Avaneesh Kamath (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Reliance Foundation School) getting in on the act, proving the Bengals their third straight goal beyond the 18-yard box. After a free kick into the danger area bounced towards midfield, Kamath gathered and quickly offered a left footed shot, soaring into the upper 90. The 40th minute goal pushed LSUE to a 3-0 advantage going into intermission.
Bernard added the exclamation point in the 57th minute, using a low dribbler to the near side to end the scoring for the day. The goal was set up after a turnover caused by
Kei Nagakura (Kanagawa, Japan, Club Med Academies), feeding Muenyi in the box who then found Bernard.
The duo of
Zachary Clary (Pensacola, FL, Tate HS) and
Bronson Paus (Arlington, TX, James Martin HS) kept the Lancers off the scoreboard, combining for nine saves, seven going to Clary.
Saturday, August 26 vs. Lanier Soccer Academy – W, 3-0
Axel Daniel Quintero Agurcia (Denham Springs, LA, Denham Springs HS) recorded a brace as LSU Eunice was able to shutout Lanier Soccer Academy, 3-0, to close out the weekend of games in Atlanta. It was Agurcia's first career brace after scoring only one goal a season ago.
Despite firing off 21 shots in the first half, nine of which were on frame, LSU Eunice were not able to cash in until the 30th minute. Kei Nagakura took a pass from
Ryan Jeanfreau (New Orleans, LA, Holy Cross HS) and found the back of the net to give LSUE the lead for good.
Agurcia would tally back-to-back unassisted goals in the 60th and 70th minute, respectively. Clary and Paus would again combine for the clean sheet, each grabbing a pair of saves.
