First-Minute Goal Puts FSC Behind, but Mocs Bounce Back for 2-2 Tie at Belmont Abbey

BELMONT, NC â€" Belmont Abbey needed less than one minute of the first half to score its first goal of the game, and Florida Southern needed less than one minute of the second half to score its first. When overtime started, it was hard not to think someone would score just as quickly. Instead, neither team scored in extra time, as the Moccasins and Crusaders played to a 2-2 tie.

Zach Hofstetter scored both goals for Florida Southern (4-6-1), which is now 5-0-2 all-time in the state of North Carolina while playing six different schools in that state. Saturday’s game was the Mocs’ first meeting with Belmont Abbey (5-6-1), and they’ll need another to decide a winner after the Mocs played their first tie game since a 2-2 draw at West Florida early in 2010.

The Moccasins found themselves trailing almost right from the outset when the Crusaders used the opening kickoff to start their first attack. The Mocs cleared stopped the initial assault, but the Crusaders gained possession again when the ball bounced off the back of a Moccasin foot and ended up with the Crusaders’ leading scorer, Timmi Borges DaSilva. Driving into the box, DaSilva fired a shot from the left side of the penalty box back across the net for his fourth goal of the season. It came just 22 seconds into the game.

“We were a bit unlucky on that first goal,” said head coach Hugh Seyfarth. “The ball bounced right off David Fletcher’s foot and ended up with DaSilva in the perfect spot for a shot. But we kept our composure and came back from that pretty well.”

After the first-minute goal, Florida Southern allowed just two more shots the remainder of the first half, though both were close to scoring as well. Tom Wigley’s shot in the eighth minute from the far right wing sailed a little too high, and Andres Guzman got a hand on a shot by Ross Smith from inside the box in the 37th minute. That one spun wide of the goal and was cleared by the Mocs before the Crusaders could get a follow-up attempt with Guzman out of the net.

Florida Southern was held to just three first-half shots too, but had two good scoring chances created by outside back J.D. Ruiz. They also drew Belmont Abbey goalkeeper Louis Liberatore out of the net on two occasions, but were unable to get a shot off before the Crusaders defended the goal.

The second half belonged to Florida Southern, with the Moccasins out-shooting the Crusaders 8-4, and Hofstetter tying the match just 55 seconds after halftime. The goal was set up by an Adam Hansjons cross, and Hofstetter scored after shouldering aside a would-be defender inside the box for a close-range shot in front of the right post.

The Crusaders also scored on their first shot of the second half, with Jack Reid converting a penalty kick in the 59th minute. That came after the Mocs missed a penalty kick in the 54th when Liberatore made a spectacular save to deny Ashley Holmes.

Down 2-1, the Mocs again tied the match on a goal by Hofstetter, who hit a shot from unusually deep in the left corner at an angle that was impossible to stop. Fletcher earned the assist on the play, and it allowed Hofstetter to push his season totals to 12 goals and 32 points. He’s the first Moccasin to reach the 30-point plateau since 2004, when Asa Pepia had 17 goals and 39 points.

“I just can’t say enough about Zach and the way he’s played all season,” said Seyfarth. “He’s been our talisman, our go-to guy when we have to have a play, and he delivered again today.”

In the final two minutes of the second half, the Moccasins had two opportunities to pull out the win but each shot went high. The first came from Gustaf Ytterbom from the top of the box, and the second was a header by Hofstetter at the far post after a beautiful cross from Ytterbom from the right flank.

In the first overtime, Belmont Abbey had three shots, but Guzman had to save only one of them. The closest either team came to scoring didn’t even result in a shot, however. That came four minutes into extra time when the Crusaders’ Jose Penaloza played the ball forward to DaSilva, who headed it past Guzman when the Mocs’ goalkeeper came out to challenge him. Holmes was already behind the play, however, and cleared it out of danger.

The second overtime period saw the Mocs take two shots, with Brad Hunt having one blocked inside the box, and Holmes sending a header wide off a corner kick with 20 seconds to play. The Crusaders tried to play quickly after that but were unable to get a shot off before the final horn sounded.

“I loved our commitment in the second half,” said Seyfarth, “but we were a bit sloppy on our re-starts today, and couldn’t do anything with 12 corner kicks. We had more than enough chances to get a win, but we persevered and were still able to get a tie on the road.”

In addition to taking 12 corner kicks to the Crusaders’ seven, the Mocs also held a 14-11 advantage in shots. Guzman made two saves for the Mocs and Liberatore made five for the Crusaders.

“You have to give credit to Belmont Abbey. They had a big homecoming crowd after a good conference win two days ago, and kept all of that momentum going.”

The Moccasins will be back in Sunshine State Conference play for their next match on Wednesday at Saint Leo. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m.