LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama men's soccer team delivered a dominant performance Wednesday night, shutting out Delta State 4-0 at the UWA Soccer Field.
The Tigers improve to 3-5-1 overall and 1-2-0 in Gulf South Conference play, while the Statesmen fall to 2-6-1 overall and 0-3-0 in league action.
West Alabama controlled the match from the opening whistle, outshooting Delta State 15-1 and placing eight shots on target. The Tigers also held a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks.
UWA broke through in the 26th minute when David Nunez found the back of the net off an assist from Florian Laot, giving the Tigers a 1-0 advantage.
West Alabama doubled its lead in the 39th minute. Nunez played a ball to Daniele Ciarlesi, who finished the opportunity to make it 2-0 heading into halftime.
The Tigers continued to control the match after the break, adding two more goals in the second half.
Oisin Griffin extended the UWA lead to 3-0 in the 62nd minute with his second goal of the season.
Nunez then capped the scoring in the 73rd minute, scoring his second goal of the night off an assist from Jesper Bakli.
The two-goal performance gives Nunez 10 goals on the season, while Ciarlesi and Griffin each now have two goals.
The Tigers' defense limited Delta State to just one shot for the entire match, with the Statesmen's lone attempt coming in the 35th minute.
Goalkeeper Dan Erez did not face a shot on target and did not need to make a save as UWA secured the shutout. This being Erez's first collegiate shutout in his career.
West Alabama finished with 15 shots, including eight on goal, while Delta State recorded just one shot and no shots on target. The Tigers also committed 17 fouls compared to nine for the Statesmen.
Ethan Sharpe and Jack Porter each received yellow cards for UWA, while Delta State's Matthew Nicklas was cautioned in the second half.
The Tigers will look to carry their momentum into another GSC matchup Saturday, September 26, when they travel to Spring Hill. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
