SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. - An offensive onslaught and key defensive plays from the Saint Leo women's soccer team helped the Lions to a 2-0 win in the Sunshine State Conference opener at Eckerd College. The Lions took 22 shots, 12 of which were on goal, forcing the Tritons to play exceptional defense, but ultimately, the Lions offense was too much, as they found the back of the net twice in the second half.
The Basics
Final Results: Saint Leo tops Eckerd, 2-0, in SSC opener
Where: Turley Athletic Complex, St. Petersburg Fla.
Record: SLU 3-2-1, 1-0 SSC | EC 3-1-1, 0-1 SSC
How It Happened
17' | Saint Leo threatened early with two corner kicks, and two shots within the 17th minute of the game, but were unable to make a mark on the score sheet. |0-0|
56' | Genevieve Gignac (Jr., MF, Ottawa, Ontario) ends the stalemate and finds the back of the net off an Arielle Kabangu cross in front of the net. |SLU 1-0|
71' | Kabangu notches in a goal of her own after making a move around the defender at the top of the penalty box to find the goal. |SLU 2-0|
75' | Abby Evans (Sr., GK, Bristol, England) made back-to-back clutch saves to keep the clean slate through the game. |SLU 2-0|
Points to Note
- Gignac and Kabangu each lead the team with five goals so far this season.
- Kabangu's goal moves her career-total up to 44 goals. She is now just eight goals from the career-record of 52 held by Casie Poyssick.
- Saint Leo outshot Eckerd, 22-12, 12-5 on goal.
- Evans made five key saves in the game.
Coach's Quotes
"It was a good rebound performance after a tough trip to Alabama. It's difficult playing three straight games on turf, away from home. Late in the game, Abby [Evans] made a great play, almost exactly mimicking what we practiced this morning in keeper training, and Selena [Jaimes] backed her up, and helped us maintain the clean slate, which is always important in conference. It was a great team performance, and an all-around great effort in rainy and windy conditions, but now it's on to Saturday."
For the Opponent
- Angelique Ulmer recorded 14 saves in her first four games of the season for the Tritons. On Wednesday night, she nearly doubled that total as she made 10 saves off Lions' shots.
- Lauren Monce and Shannon Estes-Larkin, EC's leading goal scorers, were limited to just one combined shot in the game.
Up next
- Lynn University | University Soccer Field, Saint Leo, Fla. | 7 p.m.
- Lynn is currently 0-3-1 prior to Wednesday night's action where they faced Palm Beach Atlantic.
- Lynn has faced both No. 5 Columbus State and No. 3 Keiser University, tying with KU and falling, 2-0 to CSU.
- Saint Leo has a 13-7-0 all-time record over the Fighting Knights.
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.
