MIAMI SHORES, Fla.- The Florida Southern College men's soccer team played to a 1-1 tie on Saturday night as they traveled to Miami Shores to take on the Barry Buccaneers.
The Moccasins (3-4-7, 0-3-5 SSC) staved off relentless pressure from the No. 5 ranked Buccaneers (9-1-3, 6-0-3 SSC) in a scrappy conference match-up.
The game started off with a feeling-out period that saw the Mocs and the Bucs going back and forth, with neither team being able to capitalize. That ended in the 17th minute when Barry's Nicolas Villalobos assisted David Polanco for a goal that snuck by the keeper
Hunter Cole.
The Mocs immediately struck back with pressure on Barry's back line with back-to-back corner kicks. Although the Mocs were unable to take advantage of those opportunities, it gave them the momentum they needed.
The Mocs forced a quick turnover that lead to a
Henri Tophoven unassisted goal in the 20th minute.
After a relatively hot start, the rest of the first half highlighted the Mocs' consistent defense. The back line, consisting mostly of
Santiago Erazo,
Nyles Lockridge, and
Thompson Head, was able to shut down any momentum from the Buccaneers before it could get started.
The second half was defined by the Buccaneers' offense which logged nine shots and five corners, as Florida Southern was forced to play a defensive half.
Despite facing adversity in an intense conference match-up, the Mocs were able to secure a tie on the road against the Bucs, a team that is ranked first in the conference, and fifth in the nation.
The Moccasins look ahead to a Tuesday afternoon match-up at Berend Field where they will face the Saint Leo Lions in their final home game of the year. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00pm.
