Box Score
SAINT LEO â€" Lukas Cramer’s long-distance blast gave 10th-ranked Saint Leo a lead it couldn’t hold in the first half, but his penalty kick in the second half gave the Lions just enough for them to hold on for a 2-1 win over the Moccasins. It was Florida Southern’s second game in four days against a top-10 team from the Sunshine State Conference.
The teams swapped goals in the first half with Saint Leo (9-1-1, 3-0-1) scoring in the 24th minute and Florida Southern notching the equalizer in the 40th. Scoring chances were roughly equal in the half, with Saint Leo holding a 6-5 edge in total shots, but Florida Southern ahead in corner kicks 4-1.
The Lions repeatedly tried to slot the ball into a collection of forwards or attacking midfielders that included Cramer, Maximilian Geisthovel and Bafou Sanogo, but their goal came on a 35-yard shot by Kramer that curled and dipped into the top right corner of the net. It was Kramer’s third of the season. He scored on a similar shot earlier in the year in a non-conference match against Florida Southern for the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Lions victory.
The Moccasins (4-7, 2-3) got the tying goal on one of their corner kicks, taken by Jonathan Radvogin (Vasteras, Sweden). The freshman sent the ball across to the back post where junior defender James Gibson (Cape Coral, Fla.) brought it under control and sent his shot into the net for his first goal of the season.
Cramer would score again for the Lions in the 62nd minute on a penalty kick drawn by Edgar Herrera. Driving into the left side of the box with the ball, Herrera was taken down, resulting in the PK that Cramer converted for what proved to be the game-winner.
When Saint Leo had defender Frank Bayebanen sent off with his second yellow card in the 70th minute, the Lions were left to protect their 1-goal lead with only 10 men on the field. They managed to do so, but there were a lot of tense moments for the Lions.
Radvogin had a shot saved by Manuel Schoenhuber in the 77th minute, and one by Ricky Marton (Naperville, Ill.) near the top of the box was blocked in the 84th. The Lions also survived a corner kick by the Moccasins in the 85th minute, but it was the final minute that provided the most drama.
An offside call against the Lions allowed the Mocs to set themselves up for an attack while goalkeeper Cole Clingerman (Auburndale, Fla.) came out near midfield to play it long. Midfielder Melvin Agyei Boateng won a header for Saint Leo, forcing the Mocs to track down the loose ball and play it back to Clingerman. Sending it back down field, the Mocs were able to maintain possession for two more attempts into the box, but each of those were cleared by Boateng as well, allowing the Lions to eventually run out the clock.
Both Clingerman and Schoenhuber made two saves for their respective teams, and Clingerman also had to come out several times to play the ball with his feet. Twice he was involved in dangerous collisions involving the Lions and either Petter Allansson (Savedalen, Sweden) or Patrick Abrahamsson (Frolunda, Sweden), but the Mocs came out unscathed on those plays.
Saint Leo finished with an 11-10 advantage in shots, but Florida Southern took eight corner kicks to the Lions’ one.
Florida Southern will be off until Saturday, October 26, when it hosts defending national champion Lynn in its final home game of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
