AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Florida Polytechnic University men's soccer team delivered an explosive offensive performance Tuesday night, defeating Trinity College of Jacksonville 7-1 in Auburndale. The Phoenix overcame an early deficit before scoring seven unanswered goals, including five in the second half, to improve their overall record to 8-5-1. Ahmad Hijaz and Tarquin Adams led the offensive charge with two goals apiece, while Johnathan Brangman, Isaiah Azore, and Stiven Moreno each contributed a goal in the commanding victory.
Despite Florida Poly controlling possession and generating several early scoring opportunities, Trinity College of Jacksonville struck first in the sixth minute. Carter Batts found the back of the net at the 5:32 mark, giving the visitors an early 1-0 advantage. The Phoenix responded by applying relentless offensive pressure, forcing Trinity goalkeeper Lucky Beard into multiple saves. Florida Poly finally broke through in the 21st minute when Brangman scored the equalizer at 20:18, leveling the contest at 1-1. Just over four minutes later, Hijaz converted a penalty kick at 24:59 to give the Phoenix a 2-1 advantage. Florida Poly continued to dominate the attacking opportunities throughout the remainder of the half, outshooting Trinity 21-1 and putting nine shots on goal before entering halftime with a one-goal lead.
The Phoenix wasted little time extending their advantage after the break, scoring twice within the opening six minutes of the second half. At the 48:30 mark, Azore capitalized on an assist from Felipe Romero to put Florida Poly ahead 3-1. Less than two minutes later, Hijaz completed his brace with his second goal of the evening, finishing a pass from Julian Villegas at 50:21 to extend the lead to 4-1. The back-to-back goals gave Florida Poly complete control of the contest as the Phoenix continued to generate scoring opportunities against the Trinity defense. Adams added to the offensive explosion in the 59th minute, converting another assist from Villegas at 58:11 to increase the advantage to 5-1.
Florida Poly's offensive momentum continued as Adams recorded his second goal of the night less than three minutes later. After Azore struck the crossbar at 60:21 and followed with a header that required another save from Beard, Adams found the back of the net at 60:55 to push the Phoenix lead to 6-1. With a comfortable advantage, Florida Poly rotated several players into the contest while maintaining its attacking pressure. The Phoenix continued to create opportunities throughout the final 30 minutes, with Moreno, Malik Payne, and other contributors testing the Trinity defense. In the 87th minute, Moreno capped the dominant performance by scoring at 86:21, securing the 7-1 final score. The second-half surge featured five Florida Poly goals on 19 shots, highlighting the Phoenix's ability to maintain offensive intensity throughout the match.
Florida Poly finished the contest with a commanding 40-6 advantage in total shots, including a 16-4 edge in shots on goal. Adams led the Phoenix with seven shots, placing four on target while scoring twice. Hijaz recorded five shots and two goals, including the game-winning penalty kick, while Brangman contributed five shots and one goal. Azore finished with four shots and a goal, and Moreno added three shots and a goal off the bench. Villegas played a significant role in the offensive production, recording two assists, while Romero contributed the third assist. The Phoenix also held a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks, reflecting their consistent attacking pressure throughout the evening.
Defensively, Florida Poly limited Trinity College of Jacksonville to just six shots, with only four finding the target. Starting goalkeeper Collin Lane earned the victory after playing 67:41 and recording two saves, while Makdhi Dadayev entered in the second half and contributed one save across 22:19 of action. Trinity goalkeeper Lucky Beard finished with eight saves before Kaiden Douglas entered late and added another. The victory marked Florida Poly's eighth win of the season as the Phoenix showcased their offensive depth, scoring seven unanswered goals and receiving contributions from five different goal scorers in one of their most dominant performances of the campaign.
