MONTEVALLO, AL â€" Florida Southern finally got a chance to begin the 2009 season, but it wasn’t the type of start the Moccasins hoped to have. After a strong 60 minutes against one of the top teams in the South Region, the Mocs surrendered four goals in the final 30, in falling to the University of Montevallo, 6-1, Sunday afternoon.
The Moccasins had been scheduled to open the season on August 27 with North Georgia, only to have that game canceled by weather and unplayable field conditions. Then, a match on September 1 at Palm Beach Atlantic was also postponed by the weather. On their third try, the Mocs got this one in, but fell victim to a hat trick by Montevallo’s Peter Triva, as well as a red card that forced them to play a man down for most of the final 30 minutes.
The Falcons (3-1), who have made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 11 minutes, but the Moccasins fought their way back into the game by the end of the first half. Freshman Jovaughn Howard, into the game as a reserve less than five minutes earlier, got Florida Southern on the board in the 33rd minute by sending a shot from just inside the top of the box past Falcon goalkeeper Robert Mueller. It came after Howard had initially lost possession, but worked to re-gain it and give himself a chance to score.
Southern nearly scored again a few minutes later when Zach Hofstetter played a free kick deep into the box toward the right post, but the Mocs were unable to capitalize. It was at least the third strong scoring chance created by Hofstetter in the first half. One of those came shortly after kickoff when he found Givi Kokaia in the left corner, who in turn sent the ball across the field. Though J.D. Ruiz appeared open on the backside of the play, a Montevallo defender swept in at the last second to knock the ball out of danger, preventing Florida Southern from taking what would have been a very early 1-0 lead.
Down 2-1 to start the second half, the Mocs came out strong and threatened immediately with another well-played cross by Kokaia into the box. It resulted in a header by Howard that was wide of the mark.
The Mocs dodged a bullet in the 53rd minute when Montevallo’s Milan Pualic, who’d already scored in the first half on a penalty kick, worked free for a wide open shot from the top of the box. FSC goalkeeper Johan Jonsson stopped it, however, and the follow-up by Arran McCarthy was wide.
In the 64th minute, the Falcons were able to increase their lead when Triva scored his second goal of the match, converting a one-touch shot from the right side of the box after Nathaniel Foster had brought the ball down the right flank.
Less than two minutes later, the bottom fell out for Florida Southern when Matt Macias was sent off with a red card, and the Falcons used the free kick to score again. This time it was Alex Ghoja, with the first of his two second-half goals off the bench.
In the 76th minute, Triva completed his hat trick to give Montevallo a 5-1 lead. The junior forward had also scored the Falcons’ first goal of the match when he headed in a long throw-in from Austin McIntosh.
Ghoja then ended the scoring in the 82nd minute by converting a corner kick from James Steer.
Montevallo, which had only out-shot Florida Southern 5-4 in the first half, ended up with a 20-6 advantage in that department. That put Jonsson under steady pressure, with the Moccasin ‘keeper making all six of his saves in the second half.
Florida Southern returns to Lakeland for its next game, hosting Thomas (GA) on Friday night at 7:30, followed by a Sunday match with West Florida at noon.
