Box Score
TAMPA â€" Things got a little more complicated for Florida Southern Wednesday night, but the Moccasins are still alive in the race for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. Freshman Corey Mills and sophomore Alexi Cortez scored goals for the Moccasins, and freshman goalkeeper Cole Clingerman made three saves in overtime as Florida Southern tied the University of Tampa, 2-2.
A win by either team on Wednesday would have clinched a spot in next week’s SSC Tournament, but neither could get it, after both scored in each half for a draw. It may ultimately allow both of them to make it to the tournament, but it also kept every team behind them alive as well, and could even force a goal differential tiebreaker to come into play after Saturday’s matches are complete. Tampa (6-7-3, 2-5-1) has already finished the regular season, while Florida Southern (4-8-1, 2-4-1) will play Nova Southeastern on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Tampa scored its first goal four minutes into the match, using a rebounded shot to put the ball into an open net. Tyler Blackwood took the first one from the left wing, between the edge of 6-yard box and 18-yard penalty area. When the ball ended up right back at his feet, the senior forward pushed it into the center of the area where Kevin Knowles came on to put it home for his second goal of the season. The assist gave Blackwood his 30th point.
After Tampa had scored four minutes after the opening whistle, Florida Southern scored its first goal a little over four minutes before halftime. Sophomore Tobi Abel (Lagos, Nigeria) created the goal by driving into the box from the right flank and sending a cross-field pass to the back post where Mills (Wellington, New Zealand) completed the play with a 1-touch shot for his fourth goal of the year, tying the game at one.
In between, the Moccasins had the better of it on the box score, and out-shot the Spartans 10-7 in the half. They had two other good scoring chances beside the goal they scored but the Spartan defense held each time.
In the 19th minute, Mills fired a shot from the top of the box after UT goalkeeper David Niepel had been drawn out. Niepel stopped it with his feet, but a follow-up attempt by Carlos Rodriguez (Tampa, Fla.) was wide left. Ricky Marton (Naperville, Ill.) then got a shot off in the 25th minute that was hard-hit but right at Niepel.
In the second half, it was the Moccasins who scored first the 75th minute when Mills set up Cortez (Largo, Fla.) for a shot in the middle of the box, putting Florida Southern ahead 2-1. The Spartans answered less than three minutes later as Daniel Barboto found Blackwood on the left side of the box for a shot back to the far post.
Three minutes after that, the Spartans were denied a chance to re-claim the lead when Clingerman (Auburndale, Fla.) came out to stop a run by Tampa defender Daniel Darkwa. Abel then had a good look for the Moccasins in the 81st minute but pushed a shot wide, and Rodriguez had an even better shot from inside the box in the 84th that was blocked by UT defender Andrew Clare.
In overtime, Clingerman made two saves in the first extra period, but his most difficult play came with less than a minute to play in the second one. With the Spartans awarded a free kick near the right side of the field, well away from the goal, Drew Buckley sent a well-placed ball into the middle of the box for Clare. It was enough for a header that would have given Tampa the win, but Clingerman was able to knock the ball away, giving the Spartans a corner kick but no goal.
It was one of six saves in the game for Clingerman, who faced 18 Spartan shots. The Moccasins had 19, and Niepel countered with five saves for the Spartans.
