Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Gabby Russo’s cross out of the right corner was strong enough to stagger Emily Jones on the far side of the goal, and though it may have knocked her off-balance, it was also enough to provide Tampa with the only goal of the match. The ball off Jones’ head ended up in the right spot for Cici Gonzalez to head her shot into the net, giving the 4th-ranked Spartans a 1-0 non-conference win over the Moccasins.
Tampa (9-0) scored that goal in the 48th minute, and it came right after Florida Southern (1-4-3) had threatened on the other end of the field. Regaining possession, the Spartans got the ball into the right corner for Russo, who sent it all the way to the back post for Jones. Unable to position herself for a shot near the end line, Jones had the ball hit off her forehead and go right to Jones, who headed it past a diving Erin Moseley (Jacksonville, Fla.) for her eighth goal of the season.
It was an unfortunate result for the Moccasins, who were playing their second top-five team of the season, their third top-20 opponent, and their fourth game against a team currently in the national rankings. Three of their four defeats have come by 1-0 scores.
The Spartans maintained possession for the vast majority of the first 45 minutes, but even with the ball on the Florida Southern end of the field for so long, the Moccasins surrendered only six first-half shots. Three of them were on target, and Moseley was challenged on all three.
Her first test came in the eighth minute when a pass from Jones led Russo through two defenders in the middle of the field and into the penalty area. Moseley came out to stop the shot though as soon as Russo took it. Her other two first-half saves came on free kicks, first against Jenny Karl from the top of the box in the 29th minute, and later against Gonzalez in the 34th.
The Gonzalez free kick was Moseley’s best effort, sending her high in the air to tip the ball over the crossbar and away from the upper right corner.
Preventing further damage was the back line of Sydney Montgomery (Sanford, Fla.), Christine Knudstrup (Lakeland, Fla.), Alyssa Abrahamsen (Highland N.Y.), and Gianna Conte (Orange Park, Fla.). Montgomery was often tasked with containing Russo on the right flank and did a solid job all night against the all-conference midfielder. She also gave the Mocs two good scoring chances early in the second half, one of them a shot by Kirra Rainbow (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) that sailed high in the 47th minute.
Kara Moore (Fleming Island, Fla.) also gave the Mocs two good opportunities with long free kicks, one of them coming on a play created by Montgomery, and another in the 78th minute that UT goalkeeper Alyson Gregorowicz had trouble handling.
The final 10 minutes saw Florida Southern shift into a higher gear, with more scoring chances as a result. Sheila Ramos (Tampa, Fla.) had a good look from the 18-yard line in the 83rd minute but Gregorowicz smothered the shot in front of the net. In the 87th minute, the Mocs worked the ball into the center of the box, but were unable to get a shot off, and Abrahamsen’s free kick in the 90th minute gave Florida Southern another chance, but it was turned away by the Spartans.
Gregorowicz ended up facing only three shots in the match while recording one save in her second shutout in four starts.
Moseley made six saves on 12 shots by Tampa, which was 20 below the Spartans’ season average coming into Saturday’s game.
Florida Southern will be on the road Wednesday for a non-conference match at Florida Tech that begins at 7:30 p.m.
