Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Chris Hellman wasn’t even on the roster when Lynn and Florida Southern played each other in a non-conference match in September, but Friday night at Barnett Field, he was the difference in the game. The freshman forward from Colgone, Germany scored two goals and assisted one as the Knights defeated the Moccasins 3-0 to keep their Sunshine State Conference title hopes alive.
The Knights (8-4-1, 5-1) out-shot the Moccasins 7-0 in the first half but were unable to score until early in the second half when Yannick Braeuer hit a curling shot from 20 yards out into the top right corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season. It was Hellman who got him the ball a step ahead of a Moccasin defender.
After scoring its first goal in the 55th minute, Lynn missed an opportunity to score again in the 57th when Javier Lopez Mochon hit a penalty kick over the crossbar following a handball against the Moccasins in the 18-yard box. Hellman would cover the Knights though, with goals in the 71st and 88th minutes to seal the win.
His first goal of the night was put in roughly the same spot as Braeuer’s, and his second came after he intercepted a pass from goalkeeper Cole Clingerman (Auburndale, Fla.) and put the ball home into an empty net. It gives Hellman four goals and three assists in just four games since being added to the active roster.
Lynn’s defense came into the night allowing just 5.5 shots per match, and the Knights were right about their average against the Moccasins (4-8, 2-4) with the back line of All-American Jason Sangha, Charlie Anderson, Matthias Jaenicke, and Mochon surrendering only five. Goalkeeper Kevin Shields had to make only two saves, one of them on a shot from long range taken by freshman Alek Cosio (Fort Worth, Texas).
Cosio gave the Mocs another chance to score in the 84th minute with a free kick, but Shields punched a header by Ricky Marton (Naperville, Ill.) away from the upper corner of the net to keep them off the board. It was the second time in less than two minutes that Marton nearly broke up the shutout, but his earlier header on a corner kick sailed high.
The Moccasins were out-shot overall, 23-5, but had their share of chances on a season-high 11 corner kicks.
Clingerman made a total of seven saves in the match, and was kept busy for most of the match with Lynn applying steady pressure throughout the night. The seven saves were a new career-high for the freshman making his 10th start of the season.
Florida Southern will be on the road for its final two regular season matches, starting Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. against the University of Tampa.
