Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – One goal was the difference in Eckerd's contest against Sunshine State foe Rollins as the Tritons earned their sixth victory of the season and second in the SSC.
That goal came in the 16th minute as a result from a corner kick set piece.
Nick Jackson was the player to create the corner kick after his first shot of the game was parried out of bounds by the Tars' goalkeeper, Drew Trautmann. Lee crossed the ball past the left post to find the head of
Liam Guest. Jackson worked his way into the box in time to volley the pass from Guest but it ricocheted off the crossbar. However, the defense failed to mark
Richard Ainscough who collected the rebound and tapped it in for the score.
The goal was Ainscough's fourth on the season. The assist was Jackson's second.
A few minutes prior in the eighth minute,
Alex Gott began a busy night when James Crowley fired a shot from 18 yards. Gott thwarted the early attempt for his first of eight saves.
Rollins' first equalizer attempt came just moments later off of a corner kick in the 17th minute. Taylor Cook served up a cross that was collected by Tosan Popo for a shot, but Gott's reflexes were sharp and snagged it out of harm's way.
Eckerd (6-0-1) would go on to force four more corner kicks in the half, which provided big opportunities for the Tritons.
In the 24th minute, Lee found
Westleigh Rush near the top of the penalty box. Rush found an opening in the defense and fired high, but Trautmann managed to get a fingertip on the shot to barely clear it over the crossbar for another Triton corner.
The Tritons would get their next two corners back-to-back in the 39th minute when Lee's ball was deflected out by a Rollins defender. Jackson's following corner barely eclipsed the head of Guest in a threatening position near the front of the goal.
Late in the half, Lee showcased his leg on a free kick along the sidelines about 22 yards from the goal line. His attempt caused for Trautmann to stretch to his max for the save.
Seconds before halftime, Rollins (4-5, 2-2 SSC) would try to beat the clock with a deep shot that sailed wide of the goal.
After an even 4-4 shots in the first half, Rollins piled on the pressure in the second, out-shooting the Tritons 14-2 in the final 45 minutes. The defense pressured the Tars into eight of those shots off target. Gott cleaned up the remaining six to secure his fifth clean sheet on the season, the most in the SSC.
That pressure was at its highest in the 52nd minute when the Tritons defense recollected itself during chaos inside the box and forced the Tars into a shot off target from the center of the goalie box.
Jackson would get Eckerd's first attempt in the second half from 35 yards out. The shot looked threatening from the touch, freezing the defense, but the ball soared just right of the post for a goal kick.
Lee would follow with a bullet from the left side of the penalty box that slid past Trautmann but also fell just right of the goal.
The play of the game came during crunch time as Grant Blackhurst fired a shot for Rollins that nearly tied the game in the 88th minute. Gott leaped, deflected the ball with his right hand, and secured it after it hit off the cross bar.
After a shot by Blackhurst in the 89th minute was deflected out of bounds by Eckerd, the Tars turned a corner kick into a missed opportunity that allowed the Tritons to regain possession and kill the clock.
The win was the first for Eckerd over Rollins since 2008. The Tritons look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday, October 7, as they host Barry University (5-0-2, 1-0-1 SSC) in conference play. The match is scheduled for a 7:00 pm kickoff.
