SAINT LEO, Fla. – Sophomore forward Saffron Jordan scored on a rebound off the post just 31 seconds into overtime to lift No. 23 Saint Leo women's soccer to a 2-1 non-conference victory over Palm Beach Atlantic, Wednesday night at University Soccer Field.
The win was the fifth straight for the Lions, who improved to 8-2-0. Palm Beach Atlantic tumbled to
2-5-1 with the loss.
Within seconds of the start of play in the first OT session, Jordan took a shot from just outside the 18-yard box that hit the post to the right of Sailfish keeper Kayla Wincko. The ball caromed back out behind Wincko, and Jordan tracked the rebound laterally across the box and redirected the ball into the goal for the game winner.
The goal was Jordan's third of the year, and her second game-winning goal in overtime this season.
Jordan's OT score redeemed what had been a challenging night for the Lions, who were playing their first game since breaking into the NSCAA Division II Top 25 poll earlier this week. Palm Beach Atlantic came out aggressively right from the opening whistle, making several runs deep into the Lions' territory in the opening minutes on long through balls.
However Saint Leo managed to break onto the scoreboard first, thanks to a well-executed set piece in the 16th minute. Senior Sam Buterbaugh's corner kick was perfectly placed into the six-yard box by the near post, where sophomore Genevieve Gignac headed it past two Palm Beach Atlantic defenders to give Saint Leo a 1-0 lead.
The Lions' lead lasted barely two minutes. PBA's Morgan Campbell served up a cross from deep in the corner to the left of Saint Leo keeper Abby Evans, with midfielder Kasey Wyer waiting by the far post. Wyer finished on a header, knotting the game at 1-1 in the 18th minute.
Neither team was able to score again in the opening half, sending the game into the intermission tied at 1-1.
Saint Leo's attack began to assert itself more in the second half, but was unable to find the go-ahead goal. The Lions' best effort came on a two-shot sequence in the 63rd minute when Gignac had an initial shot go wide right of the Sailfish goal. The rebound off a defender came right back to Gignac, whose header sailed to the left of the vacant left side of the PBA goal.
The Lions outshot the Sailfish 13-6 in the second half alone and 18-12 over the course of 90 minutes of regulation. Each side had six corner kicks in regulation, with Palm Beach Atlantic whistled for offside four times to Saint Leo's two.
The only two shots in the overtime session were from Jordan – her initial blast of the post, and then her follow-up shot for the game winner – giving the Lions a 20-12 advantage in the final shot tally.
Saint Leo returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 11, when it travels to Winter Park, Fla., to face No. 14 Rollins College in a Sunshine State Conference match. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Lions and the Tars faced each other earlier this season in a non-conference tilt, with Rollins coming away with a 5-0 win on September 17 at University Soccer Field.
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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