Box Score PENSACOLA – For the second time under the tutelage of head coach Ryan Sniegoski, Florida Southern (2-1) has defeated a top-20 opponent in September as they defeated 18th-ranked West Florida 3-1 Sunday night at the UWF Soccer Complex. The other win came September 28th of last year when the Mocs beat then 11th-ranked Tampa 3-0 in Lakeland.
After an unexpected loss to Alabama-Huntsville on Friday, FSC (2-1) came out with a chip on its shoulder wanting to prove that they were ready for the tough SSC schedule ahead. The Moccasins did not take long to press West Florida (1-2) and take the game to the Argonauts when in the fifth minute sophomore Alek Cosio (Fort Worth, Texas) took a pass from freshman Edward Spansk (Mora, Sweden) at the top of the box and ripped it just right of the goal.
The Mocs would got back to their quickened style of play and would get on the board first off the foot of Michael Cortright (Anacortes, Wash.), who came off the bench just two and a half minutes into the game. In the 12th minute, a failed clearance by the UWF defense on a corner kick found its way to the feet of senior Mitchell Francois (Frisco, Texas) who sent the ball up to Spansk who headed the ball into the box for Cortright to go one-on-one with the goalie where he was able to chip the ball into the back of the net.
The momentum the Mocs had built up to that point would be nullified by an hour and 15 minute lightning delay coming at the 19:15 mark. The break would give the Argos time to regain their composure and start over. They took the momentum from the Mocs once play restarted capitalizing on a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.
Sophomore goalie Clay Clingerman (Auburndale, Fla.) would come up with a huge save to keep the score tied on a shot that came off a free kick from 25-yards out in the 37th minute. UWF could tell that it was spreading the FSC defense thin and continued the high-pressure attack even though it had nothing to show for it.
Just before the half, however, the Mocs would regain the lead when a hard tackle in the box on freshman Kieran Whitehead (Worcester, England) allowed Francois to finish the penalty kick.
Similarly to the lightning delay for UWF, halftime gave FSC an opportunity to step back and regain its composure. While the possession game seemed fairly even to start the half, the Mocs were able to start to get some shots off when they got into the attacking third of the field.
FSC would get its insurance goal in the 69th minute when Cosio sent a pass between two of the UWF defenders and sent junior Alexi Cortez (Largo, Fla.) one-on-one with the goalie where he was able to flick it past him and inside the left post. A sequence of shots from sophomore Jonathan Radvogin (Vasteras, Sweden) and Cosio would test UWF goalie Stuart McCrory, but he was up to the task with a little help. Radvogin rang a shot off the crossbar, and McCrory was able to make the save on Cosio.
The Moccasins will return to action Wednesday, September 17 when they will head up to Lake Wales to take on the Royals of Warner University (2-2) for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
