Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Overtime has been a recurring event in the Sunshine State Conference this year, and it hasn’t been kind to Florida Southern. Thursday night against Saint Leo, the Moccasins took the lead early in the first half, but saw the Lions tie the score early in the second, and eventually win on a goal by Aaron Gendreau with 1:37 remaining in the second overtime period.
The Moccasins and Lions were scheduled to play last week but had the game postponed twice due to heavy rain and field conditions. The weather was perfect this time around, and both teams ended up playing their fourth overtime games of the season. It was the 19th overtime game in the Sunshine State Conference this year, and the ninth conference match needing extra time to resolve. For the Mocs, it was their third overtime loss of the season, following 2-1 setbacks to #18 Coker on August 30, and #4 Lynn earlier in the week.
Saint Leo (6-4, 2-3) came into the game having lost three overtime games, all by 1-0 scores. The Lions got the win this time, however, when Frank Bayabanen sent a cross out of the right corner into the box that was re-directed by Sean McFarlane and punched home by Gendreau. It spoiled a fabulous night by Moccasin goalkeeper Brent Theriault, who made six saves, none of them easy chances. The sophomore from Port Charlotte, Florida has now started six games this season and not given up more than two goals in any of them, but has suffered a pair of 2-1 overtime losses in conference play.
Saint Leo controlled the early stages of the game, and had two outstanding chances to score in the first six minutes, but it was Florida Southern that struck for the first goal in the 15th minute. Carlos Rodriguez provided the finishing touch after two passes from Mitchell Francois and Clay Clingerman, with Clingerman’s centering pass out of the right corner setting up the shot.
The Moccasins (2-8-1, 1-3) nearly added to their lead in the 22nd minute on a corner kick with Alexander Garcia sending the ball into the box. After Ashley Holmes used his head to send it toward the far post, Patrick Abrahamsson swept in from the back side and sent another header directly toward the net only to have it knocked away by goalkeeper Manuel Schoenhuber. The Lions were then able to clear the next corner kick and did not allow another shot the remainder of the first half.
The Lions re-gained the momentum after that, with the shooting of Sean McFarlane putting the Mocs under intense pressure. His header on a free kick forced Theriault into action in the 31st minute, and another shot on a corner kick in the 32nd minute was cause for concern. McFarlane then hit the post in the 37th minute on a low liner from just outside the box before Joey Lontrato hit the crossbar from 20 yards out in the 40th.
Saint Leo got its equalizer less than a minute into the first half when the Mocs were called for a foul near the top of the penalty box. Viktor Wikner did the honors for Saint Leo when Edgar Herrera tapped the free kick to him for the shot.
Gendreau would then hit the crossbar on a curling shot from the left flank in the 51st minute, and Theriault smothered a low shot by Matt Campbell in the 52nd, keeping the score tied at one. The Mocs also came close to breaking the tie in the 68th minute when Alex Garcia hung a well-placed free kick near the far post but none of the Moccasin attackers got there.
Though McFarlane continued to test the Moccasins in the closing minutes of the second half, and the Moccasins had several promising runs stopped by the Saint Leo defense, neither team scored again in regulation.
In the first overtime, the Lions had two potential game-winners stopped by Theriault and center back Ashley Holmes. McFarlane gave Gendreau a ball in the box in the 93rd minute that resulted in a shot on goal that was saved at close range by Theriault. Later, with only a minute on the clock, Daniel Valdez hit a shot that was moving toward the lower left corner before it was kept out of the net by Holmes. That play allowed the Mocs to mount a counter-attack, and Rodriguez nearly connected with Jovaughn racing down the middle of the field for a potential break-away, but the play was ended by Lontrato in the back for Saint Leo.
Howard forced Schoenhuber into a save less than a minute into the second overtime, but it was the last shot Florida Southern had before Gendreau’s game-winner in the 109th minute.
Florida Southern will be back on the field Saturday night for another Sunshine State Conference game against Eckerd College with kickoff scheduled for 7:30.
