DEMOREST, Ga. — The Life University men's soccer team opened its 2025 campaign with a convincing win on Saturday afternoon, cruising past Truett McConnell 7–0 at Walker Athletic Complex in a neutral site affair.
Hosted on the campus of Piedmont University, the match started with both teams trading early opportunities, before the Running Eagles broke through first in the 25th minute. Sophomore Finn Seijsener, led the attack in the season opener, opening the scoring to put the Running Eagles ahead 1–0. Just two minutes later, Andrei Apostu doubled the lead, finishing off an assist from Augusto Del Rio. Apostu struck again in the 37th minute, giving Life a comfortable 3–0 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, Seijsener picked up right where he left off, scoring his second goal of the day in the 50th minute before completing his hat trick just eight minutes later.
In the 81st minute, NAIA Golden Boot winner Thomas Rodella calmly converted a penalty kick to extend the lead to 6–0 and claim his first goal of the season. Minutes later, Agustin Lobo added his first goal in a Running Eagles uniform, closing out the scoring at 7–0.
The stat sheet reflected Life's control of the match. The Running Eagles outshot Truett 25–12, including a 14–6 advantage in shots on goal. Seijsener led the attack with five shots and three goals, while Apostu added four shots and two scores. In total, seven different players recorded either a goal or an assist in the win.
Defensively, the Running Eagles stood firm throughout the match. Goalkeeper Pawel Wolny played the opening 60 minutes and recorded two saves before Paulo Winnacker entered for the final half hour, stopping four shots to secure the combined shutout.
Head Coach Alex Pama praised the team's collective effort following the victory.
"Good start of the season." said Pama. "Some of our goals were world class and our play after the first 15 minutes was brilliant. Glad we also got our bench on the field. We are still missing some pieces, but soon they too will arrive and join the squad. Now we prepare for an always tough match up at home vs Reinhardt on Tuesday."
With the result, Life U opens the season at 1–0 and earning its first shutout of the year. The Running Eagles will look to carry their momentum into their first matchup at Lupo Family Field, hosting Reinhardt at 6 pm.
