LAKELAND â€" Neither Mallory Bond nor Alyssa Esposito started the game for Florida Tech, but both players combined to finish it. After Esposito tied the game late in the second half, Bond scored the game-winner 14 seconds into the second overtime to lift the 18th-ranked Panthers to a 2-1 victory over Florida Southern.
Saturday night’s game was a re-match of last year’s first round of the NCAA Tournament, and much like that one, which ended in penalty kicks, this one could have gone either way. The Panthers (6-1, 1-0 Sunshine State Conference) brought it to a sudden finish though, when Bond scored the game-winner after taking a cross-field pass from Esposito moments after the second overtime kickoff. The freshman carried the ball into the box and slotted a shot past charging goalkeeper Martina Tangen Billing to give Florida Tech its sixth straight win.
The Moccasins (3-4, 0-1), who were playing their third ranked opponent of the season, had led 1-0 on a goal by Alex Hoover late in the first half, before the Panthers tied the score with 10:39 to play in regulation. That goal came from Esposito, who headed a ball off the cross bar following a pass from DeeDee Newland out of the right corner. The ball appeared to be stopped by Ashlie Haas after bouncing off the bottom of the bar and another player, but officials determined it had already crossed into the goal area before the Mocs could clear it.
That shot by Florida Tech was its first of the second half, but the Panthers would take five more before the end of regulation. Four of those were saved by Tangen Billing, including back-to-back stops in the 87th minute that killed a potential break-away by the Panthers. Esposito was involved in that play too, setting up Kelli Ragan for a run down the middle of the field before Tangen Billing came out to make the save. When Bond was there for the rebound, Tangen Billing was quickly back in position to make another one, keeping the game tied at one.
Morgan Sammons then got loose for Florida Southern in the final seconds, but her shot with three seconds on the clock was saved by Melissa Pyles.
The final 10½ minutes of regulation were an aberration in a game dominated by defense for nearly the entire day. The center backs for both teams largely dictated play, with Haas and Sammons doing their part for Florida Southern, and Jennifer Gillette and Ann Marie Helgestad doing the same for Florida Tech. Helgestad prevented two potential goals by Florida Southern in the first half, breaking up two well-played balls by Jackie Bachteler before a shot could be taken.
The Moccasins did find a way to score, however, ending a 5-game scoreless streak for the Florida Tech defense. It came from Hoover, but was set up by Kristen Vollmer and Morgan Wampler. After an initial attack was cleared by the Panthers, Vollmer sent the ball back into the box where Wampler barely had time to play it to Hoover on the other side of the box. It was enough time though to allow Hoover to blast home a shot for her first goal of the season and give the Mocs a 1-0 lead with 8:54 left in the first half.
Just as the Panthers did later in the game, the Mocs used that to gain some momentum, taking two more shots before halftime, and two more early in the second half. Princess Haley had one of those with a good look at the goal, but a strong shot from just inside the box deflected off a teammate and the Panthers survived the threat.
Hoover then had a chance to score again in the 73rd minute when she lined a free kick on target, but it was knocked out of bounds by Pyles, and the Mocs were unable to score on the two corner kicks that followed.
Florida Tech then scored five minutes later to begin its comeback.
Pyles finished the game with five saves, while Tangen Billing had seven.
Florida Southern will take on Eckerd College in its next match, Tuesday night at 7:00 in St. Petersburg.
