ST. PETERSBURG â€" A goal just over two minutes into the game got the Eckerd Tritons started before a big second half by Luke Sheekey brought things to an end. With Sheekey scoring two goals and assisting one, the Tritons defeated Florida Southern 5-0, Wednesday night to take over first place in the Sunshine State Conference.
The Moccasins (1-4, 1-1 SSC) were forced to play from behind almost from the start when the Tritons (4-3, 2-0) scored just 2:12 into the game. Turner Humphries got the goal after Alex Patterson had taken the ball on a run deep into the right corner. Patterson sent a long cross-field pass to left side of the box for Colin Kuhn, who immediately sent the ball back to the right where Patterson converted just in front of the post.
The Mocs and Tritons battled fairly evenly for some time after that, but the Tritons broke through again in the 40th minute to go into halftime up 2-0. Awarded a free kick 30 yards from goal, Will Thacker served a ball into the box that Matt Duffy was able to head over goalkeeper Paul DiPalma and just under the crossbar.
It was a strong finish to the half for Eckerd, which had two more shots before the horn sounded, giving them an 8-3 advantage at the break. DiPalma was also forced to make a play on Luke Sheekey soon after Duffy’s goal, coming out to knock the ball away from him, then sliding outside the box to clear it before Kuhn could take a shot into an open net; and only a couple of touches by Billy Locy in the middle prevented from Sheekey from having two more chances to go 1-on-1 with DiPalma.
In the second half, however, Sheekey would not be denied. In the first seven minutes after the break, the senior forward assisted one goal and scored another. He added a second goal in the 80th minute to close out the scoring.
The goal Sheekey assisted and the first one he scored were nearly identical plays, and were similar to the Tritons’ first goal of the game. Both balls came out of the right corner, went across the penalty box to the far post and were knocked home from inside the 6-yard box. The final goal came after Sheekey took a downfield pass from Grant Edick, and was able to chip the ball over DiPalma on the run.
DiPalma finished with three saves in the game and the Mocs also got a stop from Brad Hunt, who saved a header attempt by Duffy in the first half by clearing the ball off the goal line.
Eckerd’s Domenic Spedaliere also made three saves before being replaced at the 74-minute mark.
The game was eventually called with 5:10 remaining when lightning stopped play.
Florida Southern will be on the road again for its next game, traveling to Miami for a non-conference game against St. Thomas on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
