Box Score AUBURNDALE – In a back and forth game that all of the scoring come in the second, Florida Tech used a free kick and a corner kick, sandwiched around a long-distance goal by Anna Griessler to come away with a 2-1 victory over Florida Southern in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the teams went to halftime still scoreless, Florida Tech (8-7-2) struck for its first goal in the 51st minute after being awarded a free kick just off the left sideline. Kiana Zanganeh sent that kick into the box where Brittany Etrick headed it home for a 1-0 Panther lead and her second goal of the season.
- Griessler tied the game for Florida Southern (8-3-4) in the 65th minute from long range when she sent a shot from approximately 35 yards off the bottom of the cross bar for her seventh goal of the year.
- The Panthers re-claimed the lead in the 71st minute after a corner kick by Monica Zabian was sent to the far side of the penalty area and ended up back in the middle when the Moccasins were unable to clear it. Taylor Eller stepped in and hit a shot from 10 yards inside the left post that put Florida Tech ahead the rest of the night and gave her goal number three on the season.
- After the go-ahead goal by Eller, the Moccasins put the Florida Tech defense under pressure with a pair of corner kicks in the 77th minute, the second of which resulted in a shot by Jess Goedde that rang off the near post. The 85th and 86th minutes saw a shot by Elanee Otto saved by goalkeeper Karlyn Prisco, and a closer shot by Chloe Hamm blocked by a Panther defender. That one by Hamm was the last of the night by Florida Southern.
- Prisco had two saves for Florida Tech, both of them in the second half. Before stopping Otto's shot in the 85th minute she was challenged by Megan Styron from long distance in the 55th minute but was able to grab the well-struck line drive to preserve what was at the time a 1-0 lead.
- Helena Norrstrom was tested more frequently for the Moccasins, even though Florida Southern out-shot the Panthers 12-9. Norrstrom had six saves on the night, with five of the coming in the first half. Most of those came from well outside the box but were placed well enough that the senior goalkeeper was often left to tip them over the crossbar.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Florida Southern's eight wins were the most since the 2010 team went 10-5-4. The Moccasins also scored their most goals since 2010, and had their highest scoring average since 2009.
- Griessler led the team in scoring for the third year in a row, the first Moccasin to ever do that. The junior forward/midfielder finished with seven goals and four assists for 18 points. She had five goals and 13 points in the last seven games. Griessler will go into her senior year with 15 goals, six assists and 36 points in her career.
- The Moccasins' 1.13 goals against average was the fourth lowest in team history, and Helena Norrstrom's individual GAA of 1.10 ranks second in the team record book behind only Kim Fish, who had a 0.97 in 2004. Norrstrom's .813 save percentage is fourth best, with Fish holding the top two positions and Martina Tangen Billing third in 2011 at .815.
- Norrstrom, who was a 3-year starter, graduates with a 1.42 career goals against average, moving her ahead of Erin Moseley for second on the school's all-time list. Only Tangen Billing was better with a 1.23 GAA from 2008-11. Norrstrom is also fifth with 235 saves.
- Juliana Guida graduates as a 4-year starter at center back, having started 54 of a possible 57 games in her career.
