Kabangu and Waddell score two goals apiece
BOCA RATON, Fla. (October 25, 2014) – Closing out their regular season slate with a Sunshine State Conference road match against the Lynn University Fighting Knights, the 19th-ranked Saint Leo women's soccer team came up victorious with a 5-1 win on Saturday evening at Bobby Campbell Stadium. The win marks head coach Ged O'Connor's 100th career win.
The Lions now set their sights on SSC tournament play with a record of 11-4-0, and 6-2-0 in SSC action, while the Fighting Knights drop to a mark of 4-10-0, and 1-7-0 in the SSC.
Arielle Kabangu led the game in scoring, notching two goals and an assist for five points on the night. Katie Waddell matched Kabangu in goals with two, while Laura Carstens tallied the Lions' game-winning goal. Genevieve Gignac, Rosie Young, and Saffron Jordan earned an assist apiece on the night.
Kristie Schults scored the Fighting Knights' lone goal on the night, with Lauren Handley and Danielle Paschall earning assists.
The Lions got on the board first, with Waddell getting the goal off of an assist from Kabangu in the 37th minute. But Lynn fought right back and took advantage of an open net after Carstens was caught too far out from between the posts less than a minute later. Schults earned the goal on a slow trickling shot into the open net off of a double assist from Handley and Paschall at the 37:47 mark to knot the score at 1-1 and get the Fighting Knights back into the game.
Saint Leo continued to press forward, and with a free kick opportunity late in the first half, pushed everyone into the box, including Carstens. Jordan took the kick from the right wing around the midfield line, and Carstens connected on a header in the box to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage heading into the break.
The Lions carried their momentum into the second stanza, with Kabangu scoring two straight, followed by a second goal by Waddell to seal the deal.
Carstens began the game in goal and spent the first 45 minutes between the posts before Abby Evans took over in the second half. In total, the two made three saves after facing 16 shots and seven shots on goal. Four of the Lions' saves were team saves, as Selena Jaimes came up big to earn all four in the space of seconds to keep the Fighting Knights off the board.
For Lynn, Katie Nimitz spent a full 90 minutes on the pitch, allowing five goals while making seven saves.
The Lions trailed the game in shots, 16-15, but led the game in shots on goal, 12-7. Saint Leo had the edge in corner kicks, 3-1, while both teams committed six fouls.
With the regular season slate wrapped up, the Lions now look to Sunshine State Conference tournament action. For additional details on tournament action, visit SaintLeoLions.com.
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.
