LAKELAND, Fla. – The #11 Saint Leo University women's lacrosse team opened Sunshine State Conference play on Wednesday in Lakeland. The Lions went to battle against #2 Florida Southern in a back-and-forth game that needed two extra periods to decide a winner. Saint Leo held multiple goal leads on multiple different occasions but ultimately fell in double overtime, 15-14. The Lions fall to 8-3 overall and open conference play 0-1, while Florida Southern improves to 9-1 overall and 1-0 in SSC play.

Saint Leo traded blows with Florida Southern all night and carried multiple leads, including advantages of 8-6 in the second quarter, 11-9 in the third, and 13-11 and 14-13 in the fourth, before the Moccasins pulled even with 19 seconds left in regulation and escaped with a 15-14 double-overtime win on Wednesday night in Lakeland.

Holly Hill finished with two goals and two assists, with her second helper setting the Saint Leo single-season program record for assists, while Sophia Wood scored three times and her second goal of the night marked the 100th of her career. Jana Nuss and Anna Wood each added four goals, and Jessica Harclerode kept the Lions in it throughout with 14 saves, including a string of point-blank stops and the kick save that highlighted one of her strongest performances of the season.

#2 FLORIDA SOUTHERN 15, #11 SAINT LEO 14 (2 OT)
Florida Southern opened the scoring, but Saint Leo answered quickly as Sophia Wood scored off a Holly Hill assist to even it at 1-1. Anna Wood gave the Lions a 2-1 lead, but the Mocs responded with three of the next four goals to go in front 5-3. Saint Leo closed the quarter with a man-up finish from Anna Wood after Holly Hill's second assist of the night, which gave Hill the single-season program record in assists and cut the deficit to 5-4.

Grace DeWitt needed just 21 seconds of the second quarter to tie the match at 5-5. After Florida Southern regained the lead at 6-5, Jana Nuss took over with three straight goals, two on free-position chances, to push Saint Leo in front 8-6. Florida Southern got one back before halftime, but the Lions carried the 8-7 edge into the break behind timely finishing and a strong defensive stretch led by Harclerode.

The Mocs tied it at 8-8 early in the third before Anna Wood put Saint Leo back on top at 9-8. Florida Southern answered again, but Sophia Wood scored on the man-up at 5:40, then struck again at 3:59 for her 100th career goal and an 11-9 Saint Leo lead. The Mocs refused to go away, though, scoring twice in the final 3:16 of the quarter to send the match into the fourth tied at 11-11.

Saint Leo surged back in front with back-to-back goals from Holly Hill and Anna Wood in the opening 1:27 of the fourth to build a 13-11 lead. Florida Southern answered with two goals to tie it again at 13-13, but Jana Nuss converted a man-up free-position chance with 3:58 left to restore a 14-13 advantage. The Lions looked poised to close it out, but the Mocs found the equalizer on a free-position goal with 19 seconds remaining to force overtime.

Neither side scored in the first overtime, thanks in part to another Harclerode stop late in the extra session. Florida Southern then won the draw to open the second overtime and scored 32 seconds in to end the thriller, 15-14.

Inside the Numbers

• 4: Jana Nuss and Anna Wood paced the offense with four goals apiece, while Sophia Wood added four points on three goals and an assist.
• 34: Holly Hill totaled four points on two goals and two assists, and her second assist of the game set the Saint Leo single-season record at 34.
• 100: Sophia Wood's second goal of the night was the 100th of her career.
• 4: Saint Leo scored four woman-up goals and went 4-for-5 on free-position attempts.
• 14: Jessica Harclerode finished with 14 saves, including multiple free-position stops, as Florida Southern put 29 shots on goal.
• 6: Saint Leo got goals from six different players: Jana Nuss, Anna Wood, Sophia Wood, Holly Hill, Grace DeWitt, and Jana Nuss.

 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo closes out the week with a 4 p.m. game at #14 Rollins in SSC action.