DAVIE â€" Florida Southern twice trailed Nova Southeastern by a goal Saturday night, and twice came back to tie the score. When the Sharks scored a third time, the Moccasins never got the chance for a third such comeback. Halil Tozar’s golden goal three minutes into overtime lifted Nova to a 3-2 victory and left the two sides tied in the Sunshine State Conference standings.
Tozar’s game-winner came on a rebounded shot off the foot of Tyree Clarke, who had scored Nova’s first goal of the night in the first half. Clarke won a battle for position in the right corner and drove into the box for the initial shot at the near post. Andres Guzman reacted quickly to save it at close range, but the ball caromed out to Tozar, who blasted it home for his second goal of the season.
In the first half, Florida Southern (4-5, 1-3 SSC) and Nova (3-5-1, 1-3) combined for just nine shots and each team was able to score once. The Sharks got on the board first when Simon Nett started an attack from his center back position in the 26th minute. With the ball played down the right flank, reserve midfielder Eric Turmey ended up with it in the corner, beat a defender to the inside, and pushed a centering pass into the box for Clarke. The freshman forward was able to re-direct it past Moccasin goalkeeper Andres Guzman at the near post to put the Sharks ahead 1-0.
Nova seemed to have the better of it until the final 15 minutes of the half when Florida Southern was able to sustain an attack that put the Sharks under a bit of heavier pressure. It came to fruition with 54 seconds on the clock when David Fletcher played the ball forward for Zach Hofstetter, who beat a would-be defender near the top of the box and fired one home for goal number nine on the season. That left the match tied at one, but the Mocs owning the momentum at halftime.
“Coming to Nova is tough place to play, but we responded well to their energy with our own energy,†said FSC coach Hugh Seyfarth. “We did a much better job the second part of the first half, passing the ball and creating space, and it led to a nice goal there at the end. You can’t ask for more than a 1-1 tie at the half on the road.â€
After a total of nine shots were taken in the first half, the teams combined for 16 in the second, and again tallied one goal apiece. Once more, it was Nova that scored first, with James Pucci putting the Sharks up 2-1 in the 74th minute with a shot from 15 yards.
This time it didn’t take the Mocs nearly as long to tie it. The equalizer came less than two minutes later when Logan Albritton headed home a corner kick from Hofstetter.
After surviving two more shots by Nova in the 79th and 83rd minutes, the game opened up again for the Moccasins, who had two strong scoring chances in the final five minutes. It took a tough save by Nova goalkeeper Andrea Giombetti to keep Hofstetter from scoring a second goal, and Luke Jenner nearly put home a follow-up attempt. Jenner then had a shot of his own blocked inside the box in the 87th minute.
“Both teams had a lot of chances in the second half, but we couldn’t capitalize at the end,†said Seyfarth. “We allowed it to go to extra time, and you’re playing Russian Roulette when that happens.â€
Nova Southeastern out-shot Florida Southern 18-9 in the game, with Guzman making six saves for the Mocs, and Giombetti making four for the Sharks.
The result, along with others around the Sunshine State Conference on Saturday, left Florida Southern and Nova part of a 4-way tie in the standings with three points.
Florida Southern remains in conference for its next match, taking on the University of Tampa on Wednesday night in Tampa. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m.
