WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — No. 2 Palm Beach Atlantic (13-1-2, 9-0-2 SSC) edged Florida Southern men's soccer (6-9-2, 3-7-1 SSC) to advance to the semifinals of the Sunshine State Conference tournament falling 1-0 in double overtime on Monday.
Florida Southern fired 11 shots, with four on target, but was unable to convert. A tense match saw both teams accumulate three yellow cards. Despite the Mocs' efforts, including eight shots in the second half, the Sailfish found the net in the double overtime period to secure the victory.
The match began with both teams establishing their presence on the field. Florida Southern College made their first offensive move with
Hector Oliver's shot in the 11th minute, though it did not find the back of the net.
Darcy Moffat added pressure with another attempt in the 24th minute, but it was saved by the Sailfish's goalkeeper, Flavio Giannini.
Despite opportunities on both ends, the half saw no goals scored.
Lasse Dettmer, in goal for the Mocs, made a crucial save against Niklas Mahler's shot in the 44th minute. The half concluded with the scoreboard level at 0-0, setting the stage for an intense second half.
The second half began with the Moccasins maintaining pressure through two early corner kicks.
Dakota Henry and Moffat created opportunities with shots, but attempts were off-target.
Tim Baierlein and
Joao Lopes challenged Giannini, but their shots were saved.
As the half progressed, defensive efforts were highlighted by Dettmer's crucial save in the 83rd minute, denying a strong attempt by Marian Rutkowski. Despite continuous offensive efforts, including another shot from Moffat in the closing moments, the half ended with neither team finding the back of the net. The match concluded with a scoreless draw, with both teams unable to break the deadlock.
The overtime period commenced with both teams looking to break the deadlock. The Mocs' Moffat attempted a shot in the final moments, aiming for the top left, but it went wide. Despite opportunities on both sides, neither team could capitalize, and the period concluded with the score still level.
The second overtime period commenced with both teams seeking to break the deadlock. Florida Southern fielded an aggressive formation featuring Dettmer,
Ryan Fitzgerald, and
Pablo Overfeld among others, prepared to capitalize on opportunities. However, the Sailfish applied early pressure with shots from Tin Vastic and Livio Von Holzen, keeping the Mocs on the defensive.
Despite efforts to maintain control, FSC faced a setback when Vastic scored for the Sailfish in the 104th minute, with an assist from Marko Borovic. The match concluded shortly thereafter with Palm Beach Atlantic securing a 1-0 victory in the second overtime period.
Dettmer recorded three saves over 104 minutes, allowing only one goal. Moffat led the team with five shots, including two on target. Lopes contributed with one shot on target. Baierlein also registered a shot on goal in the match.
Vastic delivered a standout performance for the Sailfish, scoring the only goal of the match and securing the game-winning goal in overtime. His decisive strike came from one of his two shots, both of which were on target. Giannini was instrumental in goal, recording four saves over 104 minutes and maintaining a clean sheet. Borovic contributed with a crucial assist, facilitating the offensive play that led to the team's victory.
Florida Southern holds a record of 6-9-2 overall and stands at 3-7-1 in conference play. The Sailfish boast a 13-1-2 overall record and are 9-0-2 in conference competition and move on to the SSC semifinals hosting Rollins.
