SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo women's soccer's upset bid against No. 7 Barry University fell just short of the mark as the 23rd-ranked Lions dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime to the Buccaneers, in a matchup of two ranked Sunshine State Conference powers on Saturday afternoon at University Soccer Field.
Barry's Rayah Seckler scored the game winner in the sixth minute of the first overtime period. Seckler collected a through ball from Tamara Vuckovich and cut loose a shot from just inside the 18-yard box to the right of diving Saint Leo keeper Laura Carstens for the win.
The game was sent into overtime thanks to some late heroics by Saint Leo sophomore Arielle Kabangu, who knotted the game at 1-1 in the 88th minute. Kabangu broke in all alone on Barry keeper Becca Rogers and scored her 10th goal of the season, off a pass from redshirt freshman Katie Waddell.
The Buccaneers got on the board in the first half with Christy Grimshaw scoring Barry's first goal of the game in the 38th minute. Lavinia Nkomo was credited with the assist on the goal.
Barry's defense managed to stymie the Lions offensively for much of the first half, and the Buccaneers had a 6-0 advantage in total shots taken through the opening 45 minutes.
That all changed after the intermission, as the Lions stepped up in the offensive half of the field and outshot the Bucs 12-7 in the second half. The Lions fired off four shots and recorded a corner kick in the first 10 minutes of the second half alone, including a dangerous header inside the six-yard box by Selena Jaimes that was grabbed by Rogers.
Carstens finished the game with two saves, while Rogers tallied four stops in the Barry goal. Each team had five corner kick opportunities, with Barry getting called offside four times to Saint Leo's one.
Saint Leo fell to 9-4-0 overall with the loss, and 4-2-0 in the Sunshine State Conference. Barry remained undefeated in conference play with a 5-0-0 SSC mark, and improved to 9-1-1 overall.
The Lions return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 22, when they travel to Lakeland, Fla., to face Florida Southern College at 7:00 p.m.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women's soccer team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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