FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – As the sixth seed in the Sunshine State Conference women's soccer tournament, Florida Southern College women's soccer upset No. 24/three-seed Nova Southeastern University 2-1 in an overtime thriller and SSC quarterfinal matchup at the NSU Soccer Complex Monday night.
The Mocs matched a goal by the Sharks in the first half and won the overtime matchup with a penalty kick by
Rilee Hasegawa to advance to the second round of the SSC tournament. The Sharks were nearly even in every statistical category in regular time, but FSC finished strong with a clutch diving save by Staten in the final seconds off an NSU header. The second year in a row that Florida Southern women's soccer appeared in the SSC semifinal, the Mocs will take on Embry-Riddle, who had a first-round bye, on Thursday.
Eager to start the game with a goal, each team had a shot in the first two minutes of the game, but both went wide as FSC's
Ally Prentice was the first Moccasin to take a shot. Again trading shots over the next 15 minutes, Florida Southern's keeper
Jenny Staten had back-to-back saves and faced three shots in a span of 16 seconds before clearing the ball out.
The Sharks were the first to score with an inside pass to an open Dani Correa for the 1-0 lead in the 27
th minute. Staten managed a foot and slight deflection on Correa's shot, but still found the back of the net for the one-goal lead. Reminiscent of the 2023 season, the Mocs were quick to answer with a goal in the 33
rd minute after
Malia Brost had a perfect move to evade the defender and right foot goal.
FSC and NSU were even in shots taken (seven) in the first half and Staten had three saves to NSU's two saves as the score was 1-1 at the half.
Both teams pushed the offense in the second half with 11 shots by the Mocs, just ahead of the Sharks' 10. FSC had quality looks by Brost, Hasegawa, and
Anita Vera in the opening minutes and continued to trade shots with NSU throughout the second 45 minutes of regulation, including a crossbar shot that nearly went in by Hasegawa.
Sierra Spirk, Jasmin Adames, and Prentice also added shots on goal in the second half. With both goalies on point for the second half, the score remained 1-1 to end regulation for the first overtime game this season with no extra time in the regular season contests.
Florida Southern had the edge in the first overtime period with shots by
Madison Male and Brost early before a foul in the box allowed a Moccasin penalty kick opportunity. Hasegawa took the honors, her first attempt of the season, and went left through the hands of NSU's Stefane Rosa for a 97th-minute goal. With no golden goal in NCAA Division II, FSC fought off NSU's attempts in the overtime period including two late corner kicks and a last-second save by Staten to upset No. 24/third-seed Nova Southeastern as a sixth seed.
Mocs advance to the SSC semifinal to face No. 16/two-seed Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach on Thursday, Nov. 9, set for a 6 p.m. start. More information on the postseason matchup will be released prior to matchday.
