Date Posted: 10/29/2007

MACON, Ga. – Atlantic Sun men’s soccer entered the final weekend of conference play with four teams vying for the regular season title. After the dust settled, Jacksonville took the title with Stetson overtaking Campbell for the No. 2 seed. A freshman, Jacksonville goalkeeper Matt Gilman, and a senior, Stetson forward Tanner Wolfe, led their respective schools with superior efforts and earned the defensive and offensive Player of the Week awards.

Jacksonville entered the final weekend one point behind Campbell for the top spot facing road games against Lipscomb and Belmont. Lipscomb also had a chance to win the title but Gilman squelched the Bisons’ hopes with his third shutout of the season. He recorded eight saves in the Dolphins 3-0 win and more importantly moved the Dolphins two points clear of Campbell.

Stetson remained in the hunt for the title after pulling out a 3-2 double-overtime win against Gardner-Webb on Thursday to tie Campbell for second place. Wolfe, a senior from Hudson, Fla., scored five minutes into the match on a header to start the scoring and concluded the scoring almost 100 minutes later with the game-winner in the second overtime.

By Sunday, the lone challenger to Jacksonville became Stetson after Campbell could only muster a tie against Mercer on Saturday in its A-Sun finale. JU held a two-point lead on Stetson and faced a team in Belmont who had clinched the No. 5 seed in the A-Sun Championship two days earlier. Gilman matched his Friday effort with another shutout and eight saves leading the Dolphins to the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Presented by Bealls Outlet. Gilman earned his third Player of the Week honor (he also won on September 4 and October 15) matching the A-Sun record for most defensive Player of the Week awards in a single season. Mercer’s Aldo Balsano won three in 2005.

Despite seeing the dreams of the regular-season title and the top seed dashed, the Hatters still needed to defeat USC Upstate to claim the No. 2 seed and earn a bye into the semifinals of the Championship. For the second consecutive match, the Hatters played into double overtime and once again Wolfe bailed his team out, with the game-winning penalty kick three minutes into the second 10-minute overtime. Wolfe set up the scoring chance by colliding with USC Upstate goalkeeper Jason McCabe after a well-timed pass down the middle of the field left him 1-on-1 with McCabe.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers

Anton Axelsson, JU (Sr. - F - Vaxjo, Sweden - Philosophy and Psychology) -- Captained Dolphins to two wins and the conference title; Scored game-winner at Lipscomb and also scored at Belmont.

Cyrus Eaton, BEL (Jr. - MF - Carbondale, Colo. - Biology) -- Scored both goals in Belmont's 2-0 victory over North Florida on Oct. 26 to help the Bruins clinch a spot in the Atlantic Sun Tournament.

Richard Godfrey, GWU (Sr. - F - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Accounting) -- Scored once vs Stetson and twice on Sunday afternoon vs FGCU to secure the sixth and final spot in the A-Sun Championship field.

Ron Gravely, BEL (So. - GK - Dallas - Psychology) -- Equaled a school record with 6th shutout of the season in Belmont's 2-0 victory over UNF on Oct. 26; Win clinched a spot in the A-Sun Tournament.

Aaron Johnson, CAM (Jr. - GK - St. Charles, Mo. - Business Administration) -- Registered his second consecutive shutout in a 0-0 draw at Mercer; Has not allowed a goal in 201 minutes.

Related Links:
 • This Week in A-Sun Men's Soccer