The Georgia Southern men’s soccer team put on a dazzling display, steamrolling past the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 5-0 on Tuesday night, securing their first Sun Belt win of the season in commanding fashion.
After struggling to find the net early in matches all season, the Eagles turned up the heat in the first half. Zachary Martin opened the floodgates with a sensational 36th-minute goal, assisted by Ty Wilson and Ole Songe. The one-touch finish marked Martin’s first goal of the season and set the tone for a dominant night.
By halftime, the Eagles led Coastal in every offensive category, outshooting them 9-3 and leading in corners 5-2. The second half, however, was when Georgia Southern truly unleashed their firepower. A.J. Pama connected with Martin again in the 60th minute, as the forward coolly slotted in his second of the match to secure his first career brace.
Not to be outdone, Ryan Holmes followed Martin’s lead, bagging two goals in rapid succession. The first came in the 71st minute, courtesy of a brilliant assist from Kevin Pierre, with Holmes calmly beating the keeper in a 1v1 showdown. Just three minutes later, Harvey Sarajian threaded the needle between defenders, setting Holmes up for a confident strike into the back of the net, giving him eight goals on the season.
The Eagles weren’t finished yet. In the 83rd minute, Matthew Dean stepped up for a corner kick and sent a curving ball directly into the net—untouched—for his first career goal, capping off an emphatic 5-0 victory.
Georgia Southern’s defense was equally impressive, with Nate Martinez making three saves to record his fourth clean sheet of the season. The Eagles fired off 21 shots, 12 on target, compared to Coastal Carolina’s 13, with only three on goal. The win was historic, marking the first time the Eagles have scored five goals in a conference match since 2003, and their first 5-0 win at Coastal Carolina since 1988.
The victory boosts Georgia Southern’s record to 5-1-3 overall and 1-0-1 in the Sun Belt Conference. Next up, they face a tough test against No. 7 West Virginia on Friday, October 11th, at Bo Pitts Field. Kickoff in Statesboro is set for 7 PM.
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