SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men’s soccer team (5-1) upended south region foe the University of West Florida (2-3-1), 3-0, Sunday afternoon from University Field. The win is the first over the Argonauts since September 12, 2004. It is also the Lions fourth clean sheet, surpassing their season total from a season ago.
After not breaking through against Rollins, the Lions, behind a two-goal effort from Bruce Cutler, scored three times in the second half to help lead the Green & Gold to victory. Cutler connected on both goals within a four-minute span, while Edgar Herrera tallied his team-leading seventh goal of the campaign in the 89th-minute. Both Odyss Economides and Viktor Wikner assisted on the Herrera blast.
Despite a first half that featured 12 total shots, including seven by the Lions, neither team was able to put genuine pressure on the opposing net as the majority of chances sailed wide of the goal. Saint Leo also saw multiple scoring opportunities disrupted due to seven off-sides whistles.
The Lions best chance at goal came midway through the first half when Jonathan Glenn had his one-on-one opportunity foiled by an Argonauts’ defender 10 yards from net.
With the scoreboard still posting zeros out of the halftime break, the Lions found what they have been looking for in the form of a Herrera to Cutler hookup.
With defenders targeting Herrera, the forward escaped pressure by shuffling a pass through a series of West Florida players to Cutler near the top of the area. From there the Inverurie, Scotland native sprinted towards the left edge of the box and rocketed a shot past the outreaching hand of the ‘keeper to put the Lions up 1-0.
Moments later, Glenn broke free on a breakaway only to be pulled down in the penalty area, resulting in a red card on the Argonauts’ defender and a penalty kick chance for Cutler. Cutler did not disappoint as he buried the ball into the back of the net. He now stands 10-for-10 in career penalty kicks.
With West Florida having to play a man down over the course of the final 24 minutes, the Lions were allowed to press the final third of the game. Herrera capitalized on the on the man advantage when he was the recipient of a generous bounce off the right post from an Economides’ blast. The ball fell to the foot of the freshman forward which he slid into the back of the net for the third and final tally.
Jake Hirst (3-1) rebounded from his first loss of the year, posting two saves and recording his third shutout of the season.
Saint Leo will conclude their September home slate next Friday, September 24, when Sunshine State Conference rival the University of Tampa enters University Field. Kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Saint Leo Lions Audiocast Network.
