SAINT LEO, Fla. – A pair of late second half goals lifted third-seeded Saint Leo women's soccer to a 3-1 win over sixth-seeded Florida Tech, in Wednesday night's Sunshine State Conference Championship quarterfinal game at University Soccer Field.
The 17th-ranked Lions advance to an SSC Championship semifinal game against second-seeded Rollins College (14-2-0, 7-1-0 SSC), at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. Top-seeded Barry University (11-2-2, 7-0-1 SSC) and fourth-seeded University of Tampa (13-3-3, 4-3-1 SSC) will square off in the first semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Both semifinal games and the championship will be hosted by Barry.
Saint Leo sophomore Arielle Kabangu put the Lions on the board with an unassisted score in the 15th minute, giving the Green and Gold a 1-0 lead. Kabangu's goal came on one of two shots on goal the Lions recorded in the opening frame.
That 1-0 lead held into the intermission, and through much of the second half. Florida Tech's Courtney Hueston nearly tied the game in the 67th minute, with a point-blank blast just outside the six-yard box that Saint Leo keeper Laura Carstens deflected over the Lions' goal.
Hueston broke through with a score in the 77th minute, tying the game at 1-1 on an unassisted goal and briefly breathing new life into the Panthers.
The tie lasted barely a minute-and-a-half.
Sam Buterbaugh's corner kick for the Lions deflected off several players inside the box, with Genevieve Gignac finally heading the ball down and past Florida Tech keeper Julia Kantor to give Saint Leo a 2-1 lead.
Florida Tech charted three shots over the next 10 minutes in an effort to find a game-tying goal, but with no success.
Kabangu finally put the Lions over the top with a goal in the final minute to secure the 3-1 victory, and gain a measure of revenge for an SSC tournament quarterfinal loss last season to the Panthers.
Florida Tech finished the game with 13 shots to the Lions' 12, and the Panthers also logged an 8-3 advantage in corner kick opportunities. Carstens finished the night with six saves in the Saint Leo goal, while Kantor was credited with two stops on the five shots she faced in the Florida Tech goal.
Florida Tech finishes its 2014 season with a 7-8-2 record, while Saint Leo improves to 12-4-0.
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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