Lions and Tars finish regional clash with double overtime stalemate
SAINT LEO, Fla. (November 1, 2014) – The 19th-ranked Saint Leo men's soccer team put two goals on the board in the first half, but the Lions were unable to keep the Rollins College Tars at bay and settled with a 2-2 draw on Saturday night at University Field in south region action.
The tie moves the Lions to an overall record of 10-2-3 to conclude their regular season slate, while the Tars close out their regular season schedule with a record of 10-4-2.
Matthias Katerna and Alexander Racca scored one goal apiece, while Tobias Runowski earned an assist on the night. Manuel Schoenhuber earned four saves while allowing two goals, with a fifth Saint Leo save being credited to the team.
For the Tars, Julian Grundler ended the game with nine saves while allowing two goals. Brett Durrance and Alexis Martinez scored one goal each for Rollins.
Momentum was in favor of Saint Leo throughout the 110 minutes of action, but the Lions were unable to capitalize on some late opportunities to secure a victory. The match was physical, fiery and fast from be start, and maintained a high level of play throughout all four periods.
Katerna got the scoring started in the 30th minute after collecting a loose ball off of a misplay for a shot from the right of the box, followed by a goal from Racca off of an indirect free kick assisted by Runowski four minutes later to give the Lions a 2-0 advantage in the first half.
Rollins was able to put one on the board in the 39th minute, pulling to within one with six minutes to play in the first half, and the score remained at 2-1 until the break. After the first 45 minutes, the Lions led the shot count 8-7, as well as the foul tally, 12-8. Rollins held the advantage in corner kicks in the first half 2-0, and had the slight edge in saves, 4-3.
The second stanza opened up much like the first, with both teams battling for solid possessions, and plenty of physicality and fuss. Racca fired off two quick shots in the opening seconds, but Grundler collected a save to keep Saint Leo from pulling ahead.
Schoenhuber came up with a save in the 48th minute to hold Rollins scoreless, but over the course of a tumultuous 32 minutes that saw plenty of heated play, the Tars were able to find the back of the net on a goal by Martinez to tie the game at 2-2 in the 81st minute.
Schoenhuber earned one more save in the remaining minutes of the second half to keep Rollins from taking the lead, but two saves by Grundler also kept the Lions from finding the upper-hand in regulation.
Saint Leo entered into the first overtime period on fire, and Katerna had a golden opportunity to seal the deal just 43 seconds into extra time, but his foot missed the mark and the shot went wide left. Rollins was able to fire off the next two shots, both of which were off target, followed by one more shot by the Lions which was off goal, as well.
The final period began with two shots from the Tars that went wide of the goal. Maximilian Schulze-Geisthovel connected on a header in an extremely busy box, but Grundler was able to make the save in the 107th minute. Saint Leo had one last look on frame 23 seconds later with a solid shot by Racca, but Grundler once again came up big and kept the Lions off the board.
At the conclusion of 110 minutes, Saint Leo led the shot count, 20-19, as well as in corner kicks, 6-5. The Lions committed 26 fouls to Rollins' 17, but the Tars were handed two yellow cards while Saint Leo was issued one on the evening.
The Saint Leo men's soccer team now sets their sights on Sunshine State Conference tournament play as the No. 2 seed, earning a bye in the first round of action. The Lions will play in the semifinal game against the winner of the game between third-seeded Florida Tech and sixth-seeded Eckerd on Friday, November 7, at 4:30 p.m. For more information on the 2014 Sunshine State Conference men's soccer tournament, visit SaintLeoLions.com.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men'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.
