MELBOURNE, Fla. – While the contest was fairly balanced, the Saint Leo University Men's soccer team could not overcome a slow first half start Saturday that only saw Florida Tech register a score, leading to a 3-2 defeat for the Lions at Rick Stottler Field.
 
Saint Leo (7-7, 2-6 SSC) was outshot in the first half 7-1 but saw an improved second half in which the Lions registered eight shots against Florida Tech (7-0-5, 4-0-4 SSC).  Graduate Goalkeeper Ricardo Ceballos tallied seven saves on the night.
 
Down 2-0 in the second half, the Lions found its way onto the scoreboard in 63rd minute with a score from Sophomore Felipe Ruiz set up by Freshman Anel Crnac.
 
Just as the Green & Gold thought momentum swung in the team's direction, a heartbreaking foul led to a good Penalty Kick from the Panthers to extend its lead back to two goals (3-1).
 
Roughly six minutes later, Sophomore Luca Tiozzo would bury his sixth goal of the season to bring the deficit back down to one.  In the final ten minutes of the match, Saint Leo saw three of its shots denied by the Panthers' goalkeeper, preserving the 3-2 win for Florida Tech.
 
Lions by the Numbers
2:        Goals scored
3:        Shots for Sophomore Noah Kvifte
5:        Shots on goal
7:        Players registering shots
9:        Total shots
 
Saint Leo will look to keep its season alive in an upcoming Tuesday evening match against Florida Southern; kickoff at Berend Field is set for 4 p.m.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on Saint Leo Men's Soccer, 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.