ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The season came to a close for the Eckerd women's soccer team Tuesday night at Johnson Field in the opening round of the SSC tournament as a goal with fewer than 30 seconds left in overtime gave Tampa a 1-0 win over the Tritons.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Tampa 1, Eckerd 0 (OT)
Records: Eckerd (6-8, 5-5 SSC); Tampa (8-6-2, 4-5-1 SSC)
All-Time Series: Tampa leads, 20-3-1
HOW IT HAPPENED
* The Spartans kept Eckerd's attack off-balance until the 19th minute when the Tritons put together a pair of quality chances. Sydney Tiiman fired a shot that was blocked by a UT defender. The deflected ball landed at the feet of Marie Zeidler who ripped another shot that missed just high.
* The Eckerd defense blocked two shots and goalkeeper Casey Winn grabbed a save in the last six minutes of the first half to keep the match scoreless heading into halftime.
* Kayla Gray gave Eckerd another chance in the 53rd minute making her way around her defender at the top of the 18-yard box. She turned off the defender and ripped a shot that sailed high.
* Abby Sanchez had the best chance of the game for Eckerd in the 60th minute. Sanchez made her way through traffic and created enough space to take a clear shot. She sent a hard strike to the left post, but UT goalkeeper Caroline Frykgard made a diving save, punching the ball away. Gray was able to collect the rebound off Sanchez's shot, but her shot sailed just over the crossbar.
* The Eckerd defense stayed firm during regulation, turning back what came in their direction. Sophia Kopko made a key defensive save in the 57th minute off Alex Jackson's shot at the near post. Winn collected three big stops in the last 20 minutes of the match keeping the Spartans off the board, including a save on another Jackson shot in the 69th minute as Winn tipped the ball over the crossbar.
* The match remained a deadlock at the end of regulation forcing the game to overtime where the score stayed even as neither team saw quality shots on goal until the 100th minute. Tampa earned a corner kick after driving the ball into the box. With under 30 seconds left in the first overtime, Jackson delivered the ball from the left corner into the box where Lacy Nasello headed the pass inside the left post for the golden goal.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
* Eckerd was out-shot, 20-7, and 7-1 in shots on goal.
* The Tritons played a woman down from the 61st minute on following a controversial call that resulted in Katie Vitella being shown a straight red card.
* Tonight marked the first time that the women's soccer program hosted a first-round conference tournament match. It was EC's first appearance in the SSC tournament since 2014.
* The loss marked the end of three careers as Tiiman, Sanchez, and Gray played their final matches.
