LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College women's soccer team won its Sunshine State Conference home opener with a 1-0 shutout of Lynn University Saturday night at Berend Field.
The Mocs (4-3-1, 1-1 SSC) scored in the first half with a great cross by
Sierra Spirk for a header by
Malia Brost and FSC's defense finished out the game for the 1-0 victory. The Fighting Knights (3-4-1, 0-2 SSC) out-shot the Mocs but three saves by
Jenny Staten earned her the 19
th shutout of her career, tying a program record.
Both teams traded possession in the opening minutes with the first scoring opportunity taken by the Mocs with a shot that was just wide by
Liliana Jeffries. Florida Southern maintained possession with another shot by
Jasmin Adames but again was just off.
FSC took the lead in the 20
th minute after a great sequence of passing by the Mocs opened a two-on-two situation.
Malia Brost attacked the box and fed
Sierra Spirk to the outside, who delivered a great cross back to Brost for a header into the net.
Great defense by the Mocs kept the Fighting Knights away from scoring territory with the first shot by Lynn, not until the 36
th minute. Spirk nearly put the Mocs up by two shortly after, but the shot was saved by LU's keeper Brooke Auth for a 1-0 FSC lead at the half.
Lynn opened the second half with shots fired to equal the Moccasins' goal in the first. Five minutes into the half Staten made a great save to keep FSC with the lead as Lynn continued to lay on the shots. Both teams alternated shots the next 20 minutes as Florida Southern was nearing another shutout of the year.
With five minutes left in the game, Lynn had a cross to a wide-open player that went just wide of the net to keep FSC with the lead late. The Mocs defense sealed the final minutes to fend off the remaining shots, including dangerously close free kicks, for a Moccasin 1-0 win in conference play.
Staten finished the game with three saves in her 19
th career shutout, tying a school record set by Martina Tangen Billing (2008-11). Lynn out-shot the Mocs 11-to-9 with the corner kick advantage to the Mocs six-to-three.
The Mocs stay at home to face Edward Waters in a non-conference midweek battle set for a 7 p.m. start Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Berend Field.
