For the first time in program history, Nova Southeastern University’s men’s soccer team has won the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. In the three most important games of their season, the Sharks showed resilience and dominance. The prolific team scored nine goals and conceded just three goals during the tournament. Let’s take a look at the three matches and what waits ahead for the Sunshine State Conference Champion Nova Southeastern Sharks.
The Sharks checked in as the No. 4 seed in the SSC tournament. In their first-round matchup with No. 5 seeded Florida Southern, the Sharks pitched a shutout while netting three goals in a commanding performance that would set the tone for the rest of their tournament. Junior Odei Arrieta, senior Matty Cornish and junior Juanchi Nunez scored goals in the rout.
In the second round, they took down No. 1 seeded Palm Beach Atlantic by a score of 2-1. In the United Soccer Rankings that came out on Nov. 9, PBA was ranked second in all of D-II. After an opening goal by PBA’s Quenzi Herman in the 25th minute, NSU trailed the for the majority of the match. In the 86th minute, NSU’s Arrieta set up freshman Floris Van Nijnanten and he scored the tying goal. About two minutes later, junior Aleks Berg won the game for the Sharks with his third goal of the season, sending the team to the SSC final.
In the final, the Sharks knocked in four goals while beating No. 2 seed Tampa to complete the upset. In the United Soccer Rankings, Tampa checked in as No. 9 team in the country. The Sharks didn’t just win the game, they dominated it. First half goals by junior Farid Sar-Sar, Cornish and senior Henrik Berg gave the Sharks a 3-0 lead at halftime. Picking up right where they left off, junior Michael Lawrence netted the Sharks fourth goal of the game. Smelling blood in the water, this was a dominating showing by the hungry Sharks.
After the conclusion of the tournament, NSU added to their individual hardware. NSU’s Matty Cornish was named as the SSC Tournament MVP. In addition, the Sharks had six players named to the SSC All-Tournament Team: forward Matty Cornish, midfielders Aleks Berg, Henrik Berg, and Floris Van Nijnanten, defender Farid Sar-Sar and goalkeeper Alberto Ciroi.
Their season doesn’t end here. By winning the SSC Tournament, NSU has automatically qualified for the 2021 NCAA D-II Soccer Championships. It will be their first NCAA tournament appearance in program history. NSU checks in as the No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Sharks matchup with No. 10 seeded Coker on Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. EST. If the Sharks win, a rematch with No. 2 seeded Palm Beach Atlantic awaits.
