BABSON PARK, Fla. (October 3, 2018) – Similarly to its last time on its home pitch, the Webber International University men's soccer team trailed by multiple goals before mounting a comeback and dropping a one-goal decision. This time around on Wednesday, Webber trailed 4-0 and lost 4-3 to Ave Maria University during a windy afternoon on Warrior Field.

All four of Ave Maria's goals came in the first half before Webber finally got on the board less than a minute after the Gyrenes' final tally and only one minute and 15 seconds before halftime.

The goal was scored by Mateo Sassoni with assists by Baxter Smith and MacKinley Burns.

Sassoni, a freshman from Buenos Aires, Argentina, would go on to score again in the 70th minute after stealing the ball back for the Warriors and beating the goalkeeper one-on-one to the keeper's right side. The goals were the third and fourth of the season for the first-year player and also represented his first career multi-goal performance.

Things really got interesting only a minute later when Smith, the Warriors' go-to goal scorer all season long, connected on a header from the far side after a nice cross from Diachi Arahara to make it a one-goal deficit. It was the 11th goal of the year for Smith, who also added an assist on Sassoni's first goal to give him 24 points on the season.

It was an 11-7 advantage in shots on the second half for Webber as the Warriors did all they could to try and find the tying goal. A shot off the foot of Bryan Meija was blocked in the 77th minute, Thomas Debladis made his third save of the match a minute later, a shot by Kaleb Kelly was wide in the 79th minute, and then another attempt by Sassoni was high in the 84th minute.

Smith, Meija and Sassoni each finished with three shots for the Warriors while Ervin Ikanovic, Roman Nielavitzky and Kelly each added two. Smith, Ikanovic and Sassoni each led the way with two shots on goal. Ave Maria's Kensle Jean Baptiste finished with two goals and two assists for a six-point afternoon.

Despite the large four-goal deficit, it was yet another one-goal match for the Webber, which has now seen all nine of its non-ties in 2018 be decided by only one goal.

In the end, Webber fell to 4-5-2 overall and 1-4 in The Sun Conference while Ave Maria improved to 6-7-1, 2-2-1.

Webber will remain on Warrior field to wrap up a three-match home stand with a meeting against No. 22 Southeastern University at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 10.