LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The postseason begins for the West Alabama men's soccer team as the Tigers head to Pensacola, Florida, for a Gulf South Conference Tournament Quarterfinal matchup against No. 2 seed West Florida on Sunday, November 9 at 12:30 PM, at the UWF Soccer Complex.
UWA enters as the No. 7 seed and will look to avenge its narrow 2-1 loss to the Argonauts in the regular season finale.
The Tigers finished the regular season with a 5-7-2 overall record and 5-5-1 mark in GSC play, earning a spot in the conference tournament behind a balanced attack and resilient defense. West Alabama averaged 1.57 goals per gamewhile holding opponents to 1.36, with a 43.3% shot-on-goal rate on the year.
Leading the offensive charge is David Nunez, who has had a standout season with 10 goals and two assists, totaling 22 points on 34 shots. Nunez ranks among the top scorers in the GSC and has come through in key moments, netting three game-winning goals and converting both penalty kick attempts. Supporting him is Gonzalo Rawinad with three goals and one assist, while Harrison Page and Ronny Wakelin have contributed six points each, with Wakelin leading the team in assists (6).
Defensively, the Tigers are anchored by goalkeeper Charlie Walker, who has started all 14 matches this season. Walker has made 49 saves on 171 shots faced, posting a .721 save percentage and recording two shutouts. His consistency has helped UWA stay competitive against some of the conference's toughest offensive teams.
On the other side, West Florida (10-1-5, 7-0-4 GSC) enters the postseason as one of the top teams in the region. The Argonauts boast the second-best scoring offense in the GSC (2.25 goals per game) and the top defense (0.69 goals allowed per game). Manu Bernabeu leads the way with 10 goals and three game-winners, while Callum Edwardsand Rafael Esteves have combined for 17 assists. In goal, Tomas Valles Gilbert has been outstanding, allowing just eight goals all season with 35 saves and a .814 save percentage across 14 starts.
In their regular-season meeting, UWA pushed the Argonauts to the limit, with Rawinad finding the back of the net, but West Florida had already had the two goal lead for the 2-1 victory. The Tigers will now look to flip the script in the postseason and secure a spot in the GSC semifinals.
