Box Score LAKELAND – Margot Chowansky gave Florida Southern a tying goal late in the second half and the game seemed destined for overtime, but a goal by Saint Leo's Katie Waddell with 31 seconds to play snapped the tie and gave the Lions a 3-2 victory over the Moccasins.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Florida Southern (1-8-1, 1-6 Sunshine State Conference) took a 1-0 lead when Dominique Cirnigliaro scored her first goal of the season in the 26th minute. The junior forward broke free from the Saint Leo defense at the top of the box and beat Saint Leo goalkeeper Megan Charlton one-on-one. It came on the Moccasins' first shot of the game.
- Saint Leo (9-3-1, 5-1-1) tied the score three minutes later when Sara Hemmer hit a shot from outside the box that she buried in the far corner of the net. The goal was created by Arielle Kabangu who got the ball to Hemmer from the right corner for the shot.
- The game remained tied 1-1 until Kabangu broke the deadlock in the 75th minute with her league-leading 13th goal of the season. She was assisted by Genevieve Gignac.
- Chowansky scored her goal with 8:13 remaining by taking advantage of a mistake in the back by Saint Leo. The senior forward ended up with the ball alone inside the box and sent her shot inside the far post for her first goal of the season.
- The game appeared headed to overtime when Saint Leo worked the ball into the penalty box, with Kabangu holding it near the left end line. When Waddell worked her way free in the middle, it resulted in a short pass that gave the junior forward an opportunity to score her fourth goal of the season.
- Saint Leo out-shot Florida Southern 23-11 in the game, 9-3 in the first half and 14-8 in the second.
- Helena Norrstrom made seven saves for Florida Southern and Charlton made three for Saint Leo.
- Chowansky, Anna Griessler and Sheila Ramos all had three shots for the Moccasins while Kabangu had six for the Lions.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Saint Leo came into the game ranked 13th in Division II in scoring with 2.67 goals per game, which was leading the Sunshine State Conference.
- Saturday night marked the second year in a row the game between Florida Southern and Saint Leo ended in a 3-2 score. The Lions won last year by that same score, which was also tied 2-2 before they scored the go-ahead goal in the 67th minute. Kabangu had one goal and two assists in that game as well.
- Florida Southern has now played 23 consecutive games decided by two goals or less, extending their team record, and its was the eighth time in 10 games this year a game was decided by one goal or ended in a tie.
- Cirnigliaro's goal was the second of her career, and Chowansky's was her fourth. Cirnigliaro was making her second start of the season.
- Chowansky did not start but played the entire second half.
- Saint Leo is now 12-8-2 in the all-time series.
- Saint Leo came into the week ranked #3 in the NCAA South Region rankings used to determine bids to the NCAA South Region Tournament. The Moccasins have now played the top five teams in those rankings and lost by no more than two goals to any of them.
UP NEXT
- Florida Southern will host Embry-Riddle on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
