Box Score ![]()
LAKELAND - Princess Haley did it again. Martina Tangen Billing did it again and again. And Kristen Vollmer did it over and over again. With that trio of Moccasins leading the way, Florida Southern downed defending national champion Tampa 1-0 in its first game as a nationally ranked team, and extended its school-record winning streak to 10 games.
Two nights after scoring the golden goal in a 2-1, double-overtime win against Saint Leo, Haley netted another game-winner. It was her third game-winning goal of the season, all of them in conference play. The first one came in another 1-0 game at Barry on September 27.
Unlike the first two, this one came relatively early. In the 20th minute of play, the Moccasins (12-3, 6-0 Sunshine State Conference) had possession in the right corner of the field where Linda Hoglund and Erin Hopkins got things started. After those two drew the attention of the Tampa defense, Hopkins got the ball to Haley inside the six-yard box where the sophomore forward finished the play for her 10th goal of the season.
It was the same trio that created the winning goal against Saint Leo, only on the opposite side of the field.
Florida Southern made that goal stand up the rest of the night, but it was far from easy. Tangen Billing had to make a career-high eight saves, all of them coming after Haley's goal, many of them difficult plays. The freshman goalkeeper was coming off a game against Saint Leo in which she made seven saves.
Tangen Billing's first big stop came in the 37th minute when Saige Steinmetz ripped a shot from the left wing that forced her into a diving save to keep the ball out of the net. Compared to what she did in the second half, that play was nothing.
The Spartans (10-5, 4-1) had been applying pressure for some time when they earned their fourth corner kick of the second half in the 69th minute. Brittney Evans dropped it perfectly into the six-yard box where a wild scramble ensued. Steinmetz was right in front of the net but was unable to control the ball long enough for a shot, and the Mocs cleared it. The ball didn't go far before Samantha Kay lined a shot from the right side of the box that Tangen Billing somehow deflected away from the goal. This time, the Moccasins recovered the loose ball and ended the threat.
The best was yet to come though. In the 77th minute, the Spartans again threatened with Evans getting off a shot from close range. Tangen Billing may or may not have got a hand on it, but Vollmer was backing her up for the play of the night. With the ball on the goal line, the sophomore defender got enough of her foot on it to send it spinning off to the right side of the box. Again Kay was there for a follow-up, and again Tangen Billing came back across the net to make another spectacular save.
If the crowd wasn't in full throat before, it was then, and Tampa did not manage another shot in the final 13 minutes.
"This was one of those nights where everything seemed to work for us, and every bounce seemed to go our way," said FSC coach Ben Strawbridge. "UT was unfortunate not to get those two goals, because this game could have so easily gone either way."
Vollmer's play on the goal line was only a part of her standout performance. All four members of the Florida Southern back line came up with stop after stop, but Vollmer seemed to be under the most pressure. The Spartans worked the ball relentlessly down her side, but the sophomore from nearby Zephyrhills turned them away time and time again. She created at least three strong scoring chances for Florida Southern as well, including a long cross with 16 minutes to play that was grabbed by UT goalkeeper Kendall Bourdon just in time to prevent a second Moccasin goal.
The rest of the defense had their moments too. Ashlie Haas did her usual work in the middle, and cut off a dangerous ball inside the box in the 59th minute when Tampa's Shelby Kuni was in position behind her to knock it home in front of the net. Then, in the 66th minute, it was Lexie Bottomley's turn to stop Kuni, doing so one-on-one at the top of box and drawing a foul in the process.
Renee Heacock was also strong throughout the night and proved to be the closer for the Moccasins. Twice in the final 30 seconds, it was Heacock who cleared the ball on a Spartan attack, sending it back across midfield while the Mocs tried to run out the clock. They eventually did, resulting in their first win against Tampa in 13 meetings.
"We really matured tonight," said Strawbridge. "Sometimes you have to win a game on heart, and we did that tonight. We had a lot of good chances, but Tampa had just as many. They're obviously a very good team, and it could have just as easily been them on the winning side tonight."
The win over the Spartans capped a grueling five-day stretch for Florida Southern that saw the Moccasins face the top three teams in last year's SSC standings, all of which played in the NCAA Tournament. The Mocs swept those three games emphatically, and will get a much-needed break before their next game on October 28 at Lynn.
The Moccasins began this week not only ranked #24 in the country, but #6 in the South Region, and it's that poll that carries the most weight for postseason consideration. A new regional ranking will be announced late Wednesday afternoon, and after beating the #7 and #5 teams last week, the Moccasins will almost certainly climb at least one spot. Tuesday's match against Tampa (ranked #3 in the South) won't be reflected until next week.
UT   0  0   -  0
FSC 1  0   -  1
SCORING: FSC--Haley (Hoglund, Hopkins), 19:28. SHOTS: UT 10, FSC 11. CORNER KICKS: UT 6, FSC 4. SAVES: UT 3 (Bourdon), FSC 8 (Tangen Billing). FOULS: UT 14, FSC 6. CAUTIONS: Kuni (UT), 65:19; Maria Mohammed (UT), 82:26.
