Jacob Stout
Lions’ Pride Assistant Sports Editor

The Saint Leo University Women’s Soccer team secured their first win of the season with a penalty kick goal in the 87th minute on Thursday September 17. The crowd of 316 at University Field in Saint Leo, Florida saw the Lions overcome a sluggish second half when senior midfielder Sara Macko converted the late PK.

With a light rain starting to fall, the first half got underway providing some action within the first five minutes. Saint Leo immediately applied pressure to the back line of the visiting Robert Morris Eagles and in the third minute of the match, sophomore forward, Jasmine Johnson’s header hit the near post and bounced out.

It only took another two minutes for the Lions to get on the board though as junior defender, Malloree Enoch lifted a direct free kick into the 18 yard box. No one managed to get a head on it and Robert Morris goalkeeper, Jeannette Williams misplayed it and the ball bounced over her head into the back of the net. Enoch’s first goal of the season made the score 1-0 Lions.

The Eagles couldn’t come up with a solution for the Lions offense and they continued to dominate the possession. In the 19th minute Francesca Williams played a beautiful through ball to Pia Soesemann who deposited it into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.

The Lions continued to pressure and the stats showed as they put up eight shots in the first half. Robert Morris couldn’t find anything in the first half and Lions GK, Cristina Coca, stopped the only two shots put on goal. The first half came to an abrupt end with Enoch receiving the games first yellow card for dissent.

The rain came to an end at the break and so did Saint Leo’s domination. The start of the second half saw Coca replaced in net with Kelcee Mai in what would prove to be a questionable move by head coach Ged O’Connor. Robert Morris had found something during halftime and came out firing. In the 51st minute the Eagles Karina Munoz scored on an assist by Anne Meshes cutting the Lions lead to one.

A foul by Saint Leo less than two minutes later, gave the Eagles another opportunity with a free kick in a dangerous spot just outside the 18 yard box. Anne Meshes lined up the kick and sent it into the back of the net past GK Kelcee Mai, making the score 2-2.

Saint Leo calmed down on the field after that but referee Scott Hopkins issued the Lions bench a yellow card in the 56th minute for dissent. The Lions had a great opportunity to regain the lead in the 70th minute when junior Defender, Dari Alcantara, headed a Sara Macko corner kick, just over the crossbar.

A couple shots by Macko in the 83rd and 84th minutes were saved by Williams and the score remained tied.

In the 87th minute a beautiful first touch by Soesemann on a through ball caused a late challenge by the Robert Morris defender just inside the 18 yard box, and Hopkins pointed to the spot as Soesemann went down. Macko converted the PK but it was whistled back by Hopkins because one of the Lions jumped early. Macko lined up the kick again and put it in the bottom right of the net off the hand of a diving Williams.

With a 3-2 lead, Saint Leo killed off the final few minutes without any problems. Macko led all players with three shots on goal for the night and Saint Leo edged Robert Morris on corner kicks 4-3. Saint Leo improves to 1-0-1 while Robert Morris drops to 3-3-1

The Lions travel to Saint Petersburg on Saturday the 19th to take on the Eckerd College Tritons in both teams’ first conference matchup.