Eagles Open Season With 3-1 Win Over FGCU

Thursday, August 20

Statesboro

7 PM

Georgia Southern University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

FGCU

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
FGCU	0	1	1
Ga. Southern	1	2	3

Broden Beorlegui celebrating after a goal against Florida Gulf Coast Unversity

Photo by: AJ Henderson / Georgia Southern

8/21/2026 12:09:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern Men's Soccer opened the 2026 season with a 3-1 win over Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), in a match which featured seven total yellow cards, and two goals from first year forward Broden Beorlegui.

The GS Eagles move to 1-0-0 on the season, while FGCU moves to 0-1-0 on the season. Georgia Southern returns to action on Sunday traveling for a matchup with UNCW. Kickoff for the match is set for 7:00 p.m. in a non-conference match in Wilmington, North Carolina.

In the first half, the Eagles took seven shots eventually landing one in the 36th minute from fourth year forward Mitch Picksley. Picksley worked past two defenders before unleashing a shot from just outside the left side of the box into the back-right corner of the net.

The goal came almost two years to the day when Picksley scored his first collegiate goal against FGCU on August 30, 2024.

In the second half, a video review reversed a blocked shot for the GS Eagles to a handball in the penalty box, awarding FGCU a penalty kick. Aron Martinez found the back of the net to tie the game 1-1 in the 49th minute.

In the 61st minute Beorlegui took advantage of a misplayed ball by an FGCU defender just outside the box, and finished with his left foot past the goalkeeper, who had come off his line. The goal marked the first of Beorlegui's collegiate career.

It didn't take much longer for Beorlegui to find his second collegiate goal when a header off a free kick from Eagles Harry Dale bounced off the grass into the top of the net at the 71st minute mark.

"Broden is going to be a match winner for us all season, that's what he is built for and brought in to do," Georgia Southern Head Coach Lee Squires said. "Equally pleased with Mitch, because he now has already matched his output from last year in terms of goals."

FGCU finished with 14 total shots, while the GS Eagles finished with 13. FGCU were shown six yellow cards, to the GS Eagles one.

"We knew it'd be physical and we had to match the intensity, and physicality that they brought," Squires said. "We've got to reset quickly with UNC Wilmington on Sunday. We'll celebrate right now and enjoy it, but we have to reset quickly and go again."