Box Score LAKELAND – Edward Spansk scored a short-handed, game-tying goal in the dying minutes of regulation time, and freshman Anthony Whyte made a big save in the second overtime that kept it that way, as Florida Southern and Eckerd battled to a 1-1 draw Tuesday night.
The Moccasins (4-4-2, 0-2-1 Sunshine State Conference) were playing a man down when they came from behind on the goal by Spansk in the 88th minute. The freshman forward from Mora, Sweden was put in good position to score by sophomore Jonathan Radvogin (Vasteras, Sweden), who kept possession for the Mocs inside the penalty area before passing off to Spansk for the shot. It was his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
The only other goal in Tuesday night's match was scored by Eckerd's Nick Jackson, who converted a penalty kick in the 35th minute for his sixth goal of the season. Oddly enough, all six have come on penalty kicks in just nine games.
The shot totals were fairly even throughout the night, with Florida Southern taking 15 and Eckerd (2-6-1, 0-1-1) taking 13. The Tritons were up 5-2 in that department in the first half, but the Mocs turned it around in the second half with a 9-4 advantage when they forced Eckerd goalkeeper Alex Gott into three of his five saves in the match. Gott was also under pressure on several corner kicks, one of which came in the final 15 seconds of regulation and resulted in a shot by sophomore Corey Mills (Wellington, New Zealand).
In overtime, the shots were split at four apiece, with Eckerd taking three of theirs in the first 10-minute period, and Florida Southern taking all of theirs in the second. Whyte made both of his saves in the first overtime, the first one coming on a harmless header by Matt Dolan. The second was much more difficult, as the freshman from Mississauga, Ontario had to come off his line with 30 seconds on the clock to make a kick save against Jackson as the only player between Eckerd and the goal.
Most of the action in the second extra period was on the other end of the field, with a shot by Radvogin in the 108th minute the best chance for either side. He was set up brilliantly by Spansk, but Gott made the save, and a shot by sophomore Nico Guevara (Weston, Fla.) on the ensuing corner kick was blocked.
Neither side took another shot in the final two minutes, leaving the game tied for the second time in the last three meetings.
Florida Southern will travel to Boca Raton on Saturday for another Sunshine State Conference match against 9th-ranked Lynn University. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
