Mocs Turn it Up in 2nd Half, But Fall to #11 Armstrong Atlantic State, 2-1

LAKELAND â€" Two games into the 2009 season, the Florida Southern Moccasins were 0-2, and had yet to score a goal. They ended that year in the NCAA Tournament as the SSC runner-up, and one of the highest scoring teams in the league. This season, the Mocs hope to travel a similar path, after they dropped a 2-1 decision to 11th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State on Sunday, their second game already against a top-20 foe this year.

If the Mocs do return to postseason play, they might look back at the second half of Sunday’s match to see where it began. Outshot 12-3 in the first half, though trailing only 1-0, Florida Southern turned up the intensity and played evenly with the Pirates (1-1) in the second half. The Mocs were able to apply the same type of pressure they’d been under themselves all throughout the first 45 minutes, and it resulted in a goal by Alex Hoover in the 74th minute. That pulled the Mocs within 2-1 at that point, but the Pirates were able to keep them off the board the rest of the match.

Still, it was something to build on, and left FSC head coach Ben Strawbridge optimistic after the game.

“I think we discovered today the type of team we’re capable of being. In the second half, we played like a team that can compete and win in the Sunshine State Conference, and in the South Region. Now we just need to put two halves together for a complete 90-minute game.”

Sunday’s game started much the same way the Mocs’ first game of the season started (when Florida Tech scored in the first two minutes), as AASU scored very early. Awarded a free kick in the attacking third, Andye Dawson curled the ball into the box where Nadima Skeff finished the play with her first goal of the season. It put the Mocs in a 1-0 hole just 6:33 into the game.

Despite the large discrepancy in shots, it proved to be the only goal of the first half. The Mocs weathered the storm, which included three shots in quick succession in the 12th minute. Martina Tangen Billing stopped the first one with a kick save before Skeff had a follow-up attempt blocked by Alyssa Abrahamsen. That shot rebounded out to Dawson, who bounced her shot off the left post.

Tangen Billing had to make two more saves before the 20-minute mark, and Lexie Bottomley denied the Pirates another goal in the 38th minute, sweeping in to clear a shot by Danielle Fey that was headed into an open net. Bottomley later blocked another shot by Fey inside the box with under a minute to play in the half, and the Mocs survived the ensuing corner kick to keep it a 1-0 game at the break.

Sunday marked the second game in a row Bottomley stood out on the defensive end of the field, and it helped spark the Moccasins in the second half. Even so, the Pirates were still able to score a second goal when Skeff converted a penalty kick following a hand ball in the 53rd minute. There weren’t many scoring chances for the Pirates after that, and soon it was another defender who set up the first Moccasin goal.

After stopping a Pirate attack near midfield, freshman center back Jackie Metz pushed the ball up-field to Kirra Rainbow, who brought it down the left flank. Rainbow’s cross to the far post was on target for Hoover, who slipped in behind the AASU back line and converted her first goal of 2011.

After Hoover’s goal in the 74th minute, the Mocs had the better of it, but could not break through again. The Pirates had to clear two well-placed corner kicks by Kara Moore in the 88th minute to hold on for the win.

AASU ended up with a 20-9 advantage in shots taken, but only 8-6 in the second half. Tangen Billing made six saves for the Moccasins, and Meghan Mayville made five for the Pirates. Each team had a shot stopped by a defender, with Bottomley making the play for Florida Southern in the first half, and the Pirates’ Dawson preventing a goal by Rainbow early in the second. AASU midfielder Morgan Mitchell was also a big part of the Pirate defense, winning several headers in the box.

“Today was one of those games where you had two very good teams on the field, and only one of them could get the win. Armstrong Atlantic deserved the result, but I’m extremely proud of the way we played in the second half. It gives us a lot of confidence going forward.”

Florida Southern will be at home for two games next weekend, hosting Palm Beach Atlantic on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and 19th-ranked West Florida on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.