Falcons End Peach Belt Tournament Run with Heartbreaking Loss to Flagler, 3-2

EVANS, Ga. - The University of Montevallo men's soccer team (10-7-1) ended its Peach Belt Tournament run with a tough 3-2 loss to No. 1 seed Flagler College (14-5-1). The Falcons were led by sophomore Matt Maughn (Toronto, Ontario/St. Marcellinus) and junior MilanPualic (Subotica, Serbia/Srednja Ekonosmka Skola School) who each scored goals for UM.

Flagler got on the board first with a penalty kick after a Montevallo hand ball in the box. Mack Hough converted the attempt in the 13th minute, but the lead would be short lived as the Falcons responded. 

Maughn tied the game for UM less than six minutes later as he cleaned up a loose ball in front of the Flagler goal for an unassisted score. The teams went into halftime tied at one.

In the second, Flagler again got the first strike as Adam Jackson headed home a corner kick delivered by Kevin Partel. The ball sailed through a sea of diving heads until it met Jackson's, camped out on the near post. 

Montevallo responded by steadily putting pressure on the Flagler defense for the next 20 minutes, finally breaking through at the 75:38 mark. Junior Nathaniel Foster (Brampton, Ontario/Humberview Secondary School) broke free down the left side and sent a cross into junior Austin McIntosh (Sheffield, England/All Saint Catholic), who one-touched it to Pualic. Pualic deposited the shot in the right corner to tie the game at two.

Overtime loomed large in the final 10 minutes as the temperatures at the field steadily dropped into the 30s, but Flagler was unwilling to settle.  Will Frandsen launched a shot that was blocked in front of the UM net, but Joseph Toby, the 2009 PBC Freshman of the Year, was there for the game-winner into the left side.

The Falcons and Saints were tied in shots with 13 each while FC led in shot son goal 8-6. Junior goalkeeper Robert Mueller (Killeen, Texas/Killeen) made five saves in the losing effort.