Box Score TAMPA – Playing their first game as a nationally-ranked team in four years, the Florida Southern Moccasins look like they're planning to stay in the top-25 for a little while longer. Behind 11 saves from goalkeeper Erin Moseley, and big plays from the entire defensive line, the 22nd-ranked Moccasins kept their unbeaten streak alive Wednesday night by battling #13 Tampa to a 0-0 tie.
Wednesday night's match was Florida Southern's third this season, and second straight against a nationally-ranked opponent. Each of the last two, including their 2-1 win over then-#8 Barry last Saturday, have come against other Sunshine State Conference teams in non-conference matches. As such, neither game will count in the SSC standings at the end of the year, but they still count toward Florida Southern's regional record, and right now, the Moccasins (4-0-2) are looking very good in that department.
In the first half, the teams combined for nine total shots, five by Tampa (6-0-2) and four by Florida Southern, but only one of those came from inside 18 yards. The best shot for either side came from Moccasin junior midfielderTaylor Cox (Palm City, Fla.), who hit a hard line drive from the top of the box that forced Tampa goalkeeper Caroline Frykgard into a diving save three minutes into the game. The play resulted in a corner kick for the Moccasins, but the Spartans cleared it without further issue.
The Moccasins also got two shots from freshman midfielder Izzy Loyd (Melbourne, Fla.) in the 16th minute from nearly the same spot on the field as Cox's. The first was blocked and Loyd's follow-up attempt was too high. The Mocs had just one more attempt the rest of the first half, but the Spartans were having an equally difficult time finding space to shoot.
In the second half, however, the Spartans out-shot the Moccasins 16-3, including 8-1 in the first 15 minutes. During that stretch, Amber Pennybaker hit the crossbar from the middle of the box, and Lauren Moore banged one off the post from 35 yards. That one bounced right to Pennybaker in perfect position to score, but Moseley denied her at close range.
That save by Moseley allowed the Mocs to catch their breath, and the Tampa attack was somewhat slowed for a while after that. Even when Tampa did shoot, most of them were from distance, and the senior goalkeeper from Jacksonville had to make only two more saves the rest of the second half, neither of them especially difficult.
The difficult plays on defense? Those were made by the normal back line of senior Sydney Montgomery (Sanford, Fla.), juniors Christine Knudstrup (Lakeland, Fla.) and Gianna Conte (Orange Park, Fla.) and freshman Juliana Guida (Bradenton, Fla.). Under fairly steady pressure, that quartet only enhanced their reputation by keeping Florida Southern in the game with their fourth shutout of the season.
When the Spartans tried to send crossing passes from side of the field to the other, Montgomery and Conte were there to play the ball before anyone could slip in from the back side of the play. When the Spartans tried going up the middle, Knudstrup and Guida were there, blocking shots, poking the ball away, or generally frustrating the Tampa offense, which had scored 32 goals in the first seven games. Freshman Jess Goedde (Batavia, Ohio) was a big part of that defensive effort too, and once again, in the closing minutes of a tight game, senior midfielderJackie Metz (Vero Beach, Fla.) made a couple of clutch plays to keep the shutout intact.
Florida Southern's best chance to end the deadlock in regulation time came in the 76th minute when sophomore Sheila Ramos (Tampa, Fla.) won the ball for the Mocs and pushed it forward to freshman Abby Bravo (Clearwater, Fla.). Running straight down the center of the field, Bravo had a strong shot on goal, but Frykgard got a hand on it to push it over the crossbar.
Tampa had three shots in each of the two 10-minute overtime periods, but Moseley was up to the task with two saves in each period. That kept the game tied and resulted in the sixth scoreless draw in team history. It was also the second time in a row Florida Southern has blanked Tampa in a double-overtime game following a 1-0 win over the Spartans in last year's SSC Tournament.
Florida Southern will play its final non-conference game of the season on Saturday when it hosts Palm Beach Atlantic at 4:30 p.m.
