BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University's men's soccer team recorded an offensive explosion it hadn't seen in four years by downing Eckerd 7-0 on Wednesday afternoon. Yannick Braeuer notched his first career multi-goal game and turned in a career-best five points while his fellow countryman, Simon Gubisch, added a goal and two assists. The Fighting Knights improve to 6-4-1 overall and 3-1-0 in the Sunshine State Conference.
This win marks the largest margin of victory against Eckerd (3-7-2, 1-2-0 SSC) since 2000 and tied for the second largest in program history. The Blue & White last scored seven goals overall in a match on October 7, 2009 in a 7-0 win against Johnson & Wales.
Braeuer, from Hamberg, Germany, helped his team get on the board in the 13th minute of play when he took a pass from Gubisch, of Stuttgart, Germany, near the top-left corner of the 18-yard box. A quick spin move shook off his defender and Braeuer switched feet to fire a shot towards the upper right corner for the goal.
Lynn's offense looked to hit a stalemate until an Eckerd mistake in the midfield during the 35th minute freed up Gubisch on the left wing. The graduate midfielder raced towards goal and ripped a low line drive across the field and inside the right post to put LU on top 2-0.
Michael O'Neill didn't need long after that to make it a 3-0 game, scoring nearly two minutes later. The central midfielder played give-and-go with Braeuer 30-yards out on the right sideline and O'Neill did not bypass his chance on a shot, serving one up past the diving Triton's keeper for his third goal of the year.
Just as he did to start the game, Braeuer led off the second half with a bang goal to give Lynn a 4-0 lead. Keeper Kevin Shields started the play with a long kick off the pitch to the Tritons' third of the field where Gubisch served a cross towards the middle of the box. Braeuer volleyed the ball past Toni Virtanen for his seventh career goal.
Lynn's offense was just opening up. Freshman Chris Hellman logged his first career point in the 55th minute when his corner kick from the right flag sailed off the head of Javier Mochon at the left post. Mochon leads the Fighting Knights with five goals and 11 points.
Hellman later added his first career goal in the 82nd minute. The German forward stood over a free kick from 25-yards out and knocked a brilliant attempt over the wall and inside the left post to make it 6-0.
Isaac Hamui and Chris Klarner hooked up for the final score in the 88thminute of play. Klarner beat his man on the left wing and sent in a textbook cross over the keeper and defender. Hamui found himself in the perfect place at the right time for the open-net strike.
Kevin Shields had two saves on the day but Lynn's defense did an outstanding job of keeping the Tritons away from its third of the field. LU outshot EC 24-3 and held an astounding 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.
The Fighting Knights have a week off before returning to the pitch to face heated rival Barry University on Tuesday, October 22, at 3:30 p.m. Fans can watch the match live at LynnFightingKnights.com and receive in-game updates by following @LUKnights on Twitter, Instagram and Vine. Don't forget to also 'Like' us on Facebook.
