GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — West Florida defeated West Ala. 2-1 on Friday, extending its winning streak to two games while the visiting Tigers suffered their third consecutive loss. The Argonauts improved to 10-1-4 overall with the victory, while West Ala. fell to 5-7-2 in what proved a competitive NCAA Division II regional contest.
Manu Bernabeu opened the scoring for the hosts in the 37th minute, assisted by Adrian Rodriguez, giving West Florida a 1-0 halftime advantage. The Argonauts controlled possession through the first half, with Bernabeu testing West Ala.'s defense multiple times before breaking through late in the period.
Jonas Grauer doubled West Florida's lead in the 55th minute with an assist from Nikolas Rodriguez Alzate, pushing the hosts' advantage to 2-0 and seemingly putting the match out of reach. The goal came during a stretch where West Florida dominated territorial play and created consistent attacking opportunities.
West Ala. responded with Gonzalo Rawinad's goal in the 73rd minute, cutting the deficit to one and injecting urgency into the final stages. Despite the late rally, the Tigers could not find an equalizer, with West Florida's defense holding firm through the closing minutes.
West Florida's superiority in set pieces proved decisive. The Argonauts earned five corner kicks compared to none for the visitors, reflecting their sustained offensive pressure. West Florida also held a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal and 13-11 in total shot attempts, demonstrating control throughout the