No. 10 Coker Men Conference Carolinas Regular Season Champs

No. 10 Coker Men Conference Carolinas Regular Season Champs

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The nationally ranked No. 10 Coker College men's soccer team captured their first ever regular season Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Championship with a 3-0 win over St. Andrews on Saturday evening.

The win improves the Cobras to 15-2 overall and 10-2 in conference play. The victory also gives the Cobras the No. 1 seed in the Conference Carolinas Men's soccer Tournament that starts on Tuesday. The top seeded Cobras will take on the No. 8 seed Queens University of Charlotte at 7 p.m. at the Coker Soccer Field on Tuesday night.

Tyler Staub (Murrells Inlet, S.C.) got the Cobras on the board first when he climbed the ladder and knocked a header into the back of the net off a free kick from Carlos Recinos (Houston, Texas) in the 30th minute of play.

The score remained 1-0 into the second half until Noah Lascell (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) put home another header off a free kick , this time from Jordan Snell (Palm Bay, Fla.) in the 63rd minute.

Coker put home the insurance goal in the 71st minute when Staub sent a long pass forward to Niko Tirkonen (Hollola, Finland) who found the back of the net when he faked St. Andrew's keeper Corey Francis (Greenville, N.C.) in the box. 

James Sweeney (Huntingtown, Md.) and Mark Nankervis (Virginia Beach, Va.) combined for the shutout, while Francis had 11 saves for the Knights.

McDonald's Player of the Game- Tyler Staub

Staub scored a goal and had an assist in the Cobras victory.

The McDonald's Player of the Game is presented by the Hartsville McDonald's and is given to the most outstanding performer during each Coker College home athletic event.