Final Stats

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Freshman Giovanni Pacheco (Pasadena, Texas/Pasadena) scored the opening goal in the 10th minute but the Northern Illinois University men’s soccer team fell to College of Charleston, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon at Furman’s Diadora/Spinx Gray Griffin Memorial Tournament.  

“I’m disappointed because I thought this would be a good day for us,” said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi. “We had a very good week of training, in the 30 minutes we played on Friday we were sharp and we had talked about preparing mentally the right way for today’s game but I don’t think I can say that our guys played to their maximum today, so that is disappointing.”

“I thought because Charleston had played 90 minutes on Friday and we had only played 30 that we would be the aggressor and come out with more energy but, credit to Charleston, they managed that better.”

College of Charleston (3-1-0) had the first two chances of the contest as Nicolas Jeausseran shot wide in the first minute and Adan Noel headed high in the seventh minute.

With its first shot of the contest NIU took the lead as Pacheco found the back of the net in the 10th minute. Senior Bertrand Gaschot (Austin, Texas/Westwood) set up Pacheco inside the box and the freshman made no mistake, slotting home his first collegiate goal to give the Huskies the early lead.

Pacheco and Gaschot each represented NIU on the All-Tournament Team.

“We caught them on the counterattack,” said Luzzi of the goal. “It was good build up at the top of the box, a couple of good touches to break them down and a very good finish by Gio. It was good for him to open his (scoring) account and we certainly expect more in the future.”

The NIU advantage lasted only six minutes as Eli Dent scored for College of Charleston. In on a breakaway, Dent chipped a shot past NIU senior goalkeeper Andrew Glaeser (Walla Walla, Wash./Oregon State) to pull the Cougars level.

Charleston took the lead in the 36th minute as Jeausseran curled a free kick into the lower corner of the goal from 20 yards.

Late in the first half, freshman Adrian Coardos (Evanston, Ill./Niles North) had a chance to level the contest. Off a corner from junior Richard Hall (Billericay, England/The Billericay School) in the 43rd minute, Coardos has his shot saved by Cougar goalkeeper Alex Young.

Charleston created the final chance of the opening 45 minutes and doubled its advantage. T.K. Aderahman took a corner for the Cougars in the final minute and found Tucker Coons at the back post who headed home to give Charleston a 3-1 lead at the intermission.

The first chance of the season half came to Charleston as Lorenz Esposito fired a shot high of goal in the 51st minute.

NIU (1-1-0) created a chance in the 69th minute, but Gaschot’s shot went wide. Three minutes later, freshman Max Voss (Huls, Germany/Staedtisches Gymnasium Herten) had a chance but his effort also went wide.

A header from sophomore Giovanni Garcia (Chicago, Ill./Elk Grove) went wide in the 85th minute as NIU continued to push to get back in the game but couldn’t breakdown the Charleston defense.

The Huskies return home to host the NIU adidas Invitational next weekend. NIU will host Florida Atlantic on Friday, Sept. 11, before playing Stetson on Sunday, Sept. 13.