Box Score
SAINT LEO, Fla. – It was a moment that was long overdue.
Snapping a near six-year winless drought in Sunshine State Conference play, including a string of 46 consecutive matches without a league victory, the Eckerd College women's soccer program erased an early deficit on the road to defeat Saint Leo University Wednesday night, 2-1.
Sophomore forward
Arie Anahory buried the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal in the 57th minute and assisted the equalizer.
Senior defender
Dana Treat scored in her first game back from injury to tie the match while reigning SSC Defender of the Week, sophomore goalkeeper
Morgan Crescent, collected the win in net.
Eckerd recorded ties in the 2006 and 2007 campaigns when Joe McCauley was at the helm wth an additional tie this year against No. 17 Florida Tech, but the Tritons' last SSC victory came against Lynn University on Oct. 12, 2006, in the form of a 1-0 shutout.
The Tritons rushed the field in their postgame celebration and marked yet another sign that the program, under the third year of direction from Head Coach
Danielle Fotopoulos, is turning the corner.
“I know that our team has so much heart,” a proud Fotopoulos said afterwards. “And this has the making of a special team. They gave it all they had out there coming from down behind a goal and going up in the second half.”
“We have to keep that focus and take one game at a time going forward,” she added. “Dana (Treat) played awesome tonight and her leadership was sorely missed. She created other chances for us too.”
Prior to the match, it was announced this afternoon that Eckerd is now rated No. 8 in the NSCAA South Region rankings.
After showing fortitude on the defensive end while pitching a pair of back-to-back double-overtime scoreless shutouts against No. 17 Florida Tech and Nova Southeastern University, it was just a matter of time before the Tritons (3-2-2, 1-1-1 SSC) were able to break through offensively.
The Lions (2-6-1, 1-3-1 SSC) found the net in the sixth minute of play in the opening half off a shot from Shanelle Edwards. The opening salvo was assisted by Adrianna Johnson.
The Tritons answered shortly after on a set piece to make things all-square as Anahory sent a ball into the box off a corner kick that Treat headed in past SLU netminder Abby Evans.
Treat, another SSC Defensive Player of the Week from this fall, missed a three-game stretch after starting the season on a torrid note with six points in her first two matches.
Anahory turned and burned a Lions' defender, accelerating for a left-footed shot that she positioned just on the inside of the post to snap the 1-1 tie in the second half. It was her second goal of the year and the assist marked her team-leading third.
Eckerd's defense took over from that point and kept the Saint Leo offense quiet the rest of the way.
“Saint Leo threw some numbers forward and put my defense under pressure,” she added. “We stayed calm and waited out the storm. Everybody stayed disciplined even though they had everyone in the box towards the end.”
The Tritons will look to defend the Turley Athletic Complex on Saturday against Barry University, currently ranked seventh in the NSCAA South Region. Live stats and video/audio will be streamed live while the conference contest will begin at 7:30 p.m., or following the completion of the men's contest
