Five Dukes Score in Shutout Drubbing of Georgia Southern

Saturday, October 17

Statesboro, Ga.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

7-4-2, 4-0-1

Georgia Southern

6-2-4, 2-1-2

Team	1	2	Final F
James Madison	1	4	5
Ga. Southern	0	0	0

Game_Notes

Five Dukes Score in Shutout Drubbing of Georgia Southern

10/17/2026 10:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. – With major conference standings implications on the line, James Madison men's soccer (7-4-2, 4-0-1 Sun Belt) delivered its finest performance yet, cruising to a convincing 5-0 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday night.

The Dukes showcased a balanced offensive attack, with five different players finding the back of the net. Dylan Randazzo and Chris Niblock led the charge, each totaling three points with a goal and an assist.

Christer Salvesen, Leon Kondic and Diego Ossa each added a goal to round out JMU's highest-scoring match of the season against a Sun Belt opponent. As a unit, the Dukes registered a .417 shooting percentage and a .750 shots-on-goal percentage, both single-game season highs.

Equally impressive was JMU's impenetrable defense, which recorded its fourth consecutive clean sheet and seventh of the season. The Dukes allowed just seven total shots, more than three below the Eagles' season average entering the match.

Additionally, JMU kept Georgia Southern out of the shots-on-goal column entirely, allowing none over the full 90 minutes. Entering the contest, the Eagles ranked seventh nationally in shots-on-goal percentage at .513 but were held to triple zeroes on Saturday.

Quoting Head Coach Paul Zazenski

"A big time performance from our guys tonight against a tough Georgia Southern team," said Zazenski. "Everyone stepped up and were on their game. So proud of this group for being a together group and continuing to keep shutouts along the way. Now it's time for a quick turnaround and another tough away game against Marshall on Wednesday."

How It Happened

After a scoreless opening 40 minutes, the Dukes struck first when Håkon Rake gained possession and delivered a ball onto the head of Randazzo. His beautiful finish into the upper corner gave JMU a 1-0 advantage just before halftime.
Early in the second half, Manuel Lolas delivered a free kick from the right side of the box. Randazzo collected possession and poked the ball toward the back post, where Salvesen flicked it into the net to double the Dukes' lead in the 56th minute.
JMU continued its offensive surge when Carlos Cámara Tur outraced an Eagles defender to the ball and turned defense into offense, sending a pass to the waiting feet of Niblock. The third-year midfielder carried the ball from right to left before burying a shot into the left corner in the 71st minute.
The Dukes poured it on in the 77th minute when Niblock delivered a pass out wide to Kondic, who slammed a one-time finish home to make it 4-0 and give the Slovenian striker his first goal as a Duke.
Ossa put the finishing touches on the dominant performance, converting a penalty kick in the final minute to seal JMU's emphatic 5-0 victory.

Game Notes

JMU sits atop the Sun Belt Conference standings with 13 points, holding a five-point advantage following Saturday's victory. The Dukes are also the conference's only remaining unbeaten team, boasting a 4-0-1 league record.
The Dukes extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches, dating back to Sept. 11. During that stretch, JMU has recorded six shutouts and outscored its opponents 19-3.
Seven Dukes recorded at least one point Saturday night, the most JMU has had in a single match this season.
The Dukes earned their first road victory of the season and first since a 3-1 triumph over Georgia Southern on Oct. 15, 2024.
JMU improved to a perfect 4-0-0 in October.

Up Next

The Dukes travel to Huntington, W.Va., to face Marshall at 7 p.m. Wednesday.