Men's Soccer Team Finishes Tournament Strong

The Georgia State Men's Soccer team was on the tournament trail earlier this month. They returned to campus with impressive victories and outstanding team play, including a 2-1 conquest of Mercer on their home field.

Coach Kerem Daser once again sat down with a Signal reporter and described the team's recent progress. The Mercer University Wingate by Wyndham Classic took place the weekend of September 13-14, and pitted the Panthers against two strong teams, Alabama A&M and Mercer.

The Alabama A&M game, played on Saturday, can best be described as a tale of two halves. The Panthers dominated in the first 45 minute half, with Linus Warendh providing his third goal of the season to put the score at 1-0. Alabama A&M answered in the 33rd minute on a penalty kick. The second half was all A&M, as they tacked on three more goals to secure a 4-1 victory.

The Panthers' fortunes improved Sunday when they played host Mercer. Senior Francesco Barbera scored his first career goal early in the match, and twenty minutes later Joe Costaldo found the net with the aid of Stephan Minyono. Mercer answered with one goal, but it wasn't enough as the Panthers took the game 2-1. Francesco Barbera and Joe Costaldo won All-Tournament honors.

After the Mercer tournament, the Panthers made their way to Wofford and the Wofford/Nike Men's Soccer Classic. Their first game was on Friday, September 19 against Furman. Despite Furman being a very strong team, the Panthers were able to outshoot them. At the end of the 90-minute regulation, the score was tied at 2. Twenty minutes of extra play failed to see another goal, and the game ended in a tie. Coach Kerem felt this game was important because it showed his team could play a full 110 minutes on the field and not lose heart.

On September 21, Georgia State once again played the tournament host and once again came away with a victory. This time, the Panthers defeated Wofford 2-0, with goals scored by Minyono and Ayokunle Lumpkin. The Wofford Tournament displayed the soccer skills of many of the Panther players. Coach Kerem was especially impressed with the play of Filipe Carvalho, and seniors Joe Devito and Spenser Sumpter were named to the All-Tournament team. Stephan Minyono's 2 goals and 1 assist earned him All-Tournament honors as well.

Coach Kerem feels this team is the best team he has seen in four years. Their physical fitness was shown to be beyond question. Team morale is high, due to strong senior leadership. This team is also bigger and more athletic than previous years, with a very strong work ethic. A 4 win, 2 loss and 1 tie record reflects this commitment to the game and to each other.

This weekend, the Panthers travel to New York to battle Hofstra, which has dominated the CAA conference for many years. Coach Kerem is looking forward to the teams' first inter-conference match, and expects a strong showing from his players. The Panthers return home on October 4, and Coach Kerem has asked the Georgia State faithful to give their team a true home field advantage at Panthersville.