SAINT LEO, Fla. – A first-half brace from junior Virgilio Escala powered the Saint Leo men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Nova Southeastern on Wednesday night at Saint Leo Soccer Field in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) action.
The Lions struck early and maintained their advantage throughout most of the contest, with Escala finding the back of the net twice in the opening 21 minutes to give Saint Leo a lead it would not relinquish.
Saint Leo opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Escala finished a pass from junior Hayata Kobayashi to put the Green and Gold ahead 1-0. Escala struck again in the 21st minute, capitalizing on an assist from Baye N'diaye to double the Lions' advantage and cap his first-half brace.
The Lions carried a 2-0 lead into halftime after an impressive offensive showing, outshooting Nova Southeastern 12-4 in the opening 45 minutes. Saint Leo continued to create opportunities in the second half, finishing the night with a 16-9 advantage in total shots and a 9-3 edge in shots on goal.
Saint Leo goalkeeper Vincent Fournier helped preserve the lead with two saves, including one in each half during the complete-game effort.
Nova Southeastern cut the deficit to one in the 85th minute. However, the Saint Leo defense held firm over the closing minutes to secure the 2-1 SSC victory.
The Lions return to action on Saturday, October 24 as they host Trinity (Fla.) on Senior Day at 7 p.m.
