Lakeland, Fla. - Despite playing with the will and determination that comes with a season on the line, Lynn University's women's soccer team fell 3-2 in double-overtime to Florida Southern in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. The Fighting Knights twice tied the game on goals by seniors Natalie Feller and Sarah Mendelsberg but couldn't find the back of the net in OT. Lynn closes out its season 9-9 overall.
Florida Southern (11-7-1) was unprepared for the aggressive and physical nature the Blue & White came out with. Seniors Mindy DeCara, Alyssa Rijavec and Breanna Heising along with freshman Rio Hanlan harassed the Mocs forwards for much of the game and held them to just two shots on goal.
The Moccasins grabbed a 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the contest though, scoring the first of two goals off a corner kick. A failed clearance after the initial corner allowed Kerri-Ann Brown time to pass around to Hanna Jansson. Jansson found Ashlie Hass among the scramble and Hass buried the shot.
Feller scored the equalizer in the 33rd minute. Brittany Evernden logged her 10th assist when she struck a corner kick from the right flag post to the middle of the six-yard box. Setting up in front of the keeper, Feller got the back of her head on the ball just in front of Martina Tangen's hands for her second goal of the season.
Jansson regained the lead for FSC eight minutes into the second half on another failed corner clearance. With the ball rattling around within the box, Jansson grabbed it and lofted a shot through traffic for the score.
Again LU fought back. Melissa Ortiz led the Knights' attack with 19 minutes left in regulation, driving through the middle of the field. With her gaze turned to the right sideline, she slipped a no-look pass to Alison Ramsey on the left wing. The red-shirt freshman beat the keeper to the ball and just got off a shot towards the right post. Mendelsberg came uncontested through the Mocs' defense and knocked in the open net shot to tie the game at two.
Both teams appeared gassed in overtime but wouldn't let their fatigue be the deciding factor. The Mocs got their big break with six minutes left when LU failed to clear the ball out of their midfield. Princess Haley collected the free ball and immediately passed it to Brown who slipped it into the box for Emily Griffith. Griffith took one touch and chipped a shot into the upper right corner for the winner.
Kelsey Butler made five saves while Tangen stopped three shots. Lynn and Florida Southern notched 12 shots apiece while FSC had a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.
The Blue & White notched their fourth consecutive SSC Tournament appearance and sixth in program history.
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