Box Score LAKELAND – Florida Southern's bench provided the spark Friday night, and Jimmy Oatman and Jordyn Henderson did the scoring as the Moccasins notched a 2-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville in their 2015 home opener Friday night.
The Moccasins (1-2) fell behind in the fifth minute when a free kick by Leo De Smedt was re-directed into the net to give the Chargers (1-2) a 1-0 lead. Other than that, however, the Florida Southern defense, led by starting defenders Kevin Davidsson, Luke Bromley, Daniel Moore and Carl Spansk, allowed just eight shots in the contest, including just three in the final 60 minutes against the preseason favorites from the Gulf South Conference.
The Moccasins nearly scored the tying goal in the 33rd minute on a counter attack when goalkeeper Cole Clingerman got the ball out quickly following a corner kick, and Nico Guevara found Jonathan Radvogin racing down the left flank. Radvogin was just a step offside though, allowing the Chargers to hold their 1-0 lead for a bit longer.
The equalizer came in the 43rd minute from Oatman, who was the beneficiary of a stolen ball by freshman Pablo Gallo Arias in the middle of the field. Getting the ball quickly forward before the Chargers could re-group, Oatman drove into the box and slid a shot past goalkeeper Michael Winstone that kissed off the left post for the sophomore forward's first goal of the season.
In the second half, two more reserves combined to give Florida Southern its second goal in the 65th minute, which proved to be the game-winner. Brilliantly developed in the left corner by Mike Cortright, the play also ran through starting midfielder Alexi Cortez in the center, before Henderson finished it with a one-touch shot at the far post that put the Mocs ahead 2-1. It was the first career goal for the redshirt freshman from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Henderson was one of the Mocs' most active players Friday night with four shots, and his passing nearly led to a goal by Guevara in the 56th minute, with only a strong defensive play by UAH defender Esra Arnason preventing a score. Radvogin also had a shot blocked by Ian Dempsey inside the box just four minutes later before the Mocs eventually took the lead.
In the end, the Moccasins prevailed when Clingerman grabbed a cross by Guy Clennett in the center of the box with 10 seconds remaining after a free kick, allowing FSC to run out the clock and celebrate its first win of 2015. It also allowed the Moccasins to remain undefeated against Alabama-Huntsville in six all-time meetings at home (5-0-1).
Of the five reserves who played in Friday night's match, four of them (Oatman, Henderson, Arias, and Cortright) recorded a point, and Guevara's play created many of the Moccasins' scoring chances throughout the night.
Florida Southern finished with a 17-7 advantage in shots, including 13-3 in the second half.
Clingerman made three saves for the Moccasins, and Winstone made seven for the Chargers.
Florida Southern will be back at Barnett Field on Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. match against the University of West Florida.
