Eagles eye top seed
FGCU returns to its quest to earn the top seed for the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament when it hosts North Florida Friday night.
The Eagles (5-5-3, 3-0 A-Sun) share the top spot with Stetson (3-1), but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Hatters.
FGCU is looking to avenge a 2-1 loss to UNF (5-5, 2-2) that ended the Eagles’ season in last year’s A-Sun semifinal round.
The Eagles are coming off Tuesday’s 1-0 non-conference victory over Florida Atlantic, achieved on a penalty kick conversion by Henry Penagos and goalkeeper Nathan Ingham’s shutout in the net.
FGCU surpassed the school record for attendance Tuesday. Its total home attendance through seven games of 6,040 is the single season record.
Penagos netted the PK after he started the play by making a run down the left side and beating several defenders before sending a cross into the box for Santiago Echeverri where a hand-ball infraction occurred.
Penagos stepped up and finished his second penalty kick of the year in the 55th minute with his left foot. The redshirt senior is now a perfect 4-4 in his career on PKs, and the goal set the FGCU program career record for penalty kicks made.
Ingham earned his league-leading fifth shutout with three saves.