The Florida Tech Panthers capped their senior night with a 3-2 win over the Lynn Fighting Knights in a Sunshine State Conference match on Wednesday night at Rick Stottler Field.
The Panthers (7-7-1, 4-4-0 SSC) outshot the Fighting Knights 20-18 in this match, with eight of those shots on goal. Lynn took 18 shots, firing seven of those at Maria Sanchez Recuero. Both Recuero and Lynn goalie Kiara Burga ended the night with five saves.
Florida Tech took some early shots, including one by Kiera McCarthy in the first four minutes and one by Taylor Eller that hit the crossbar and another that she kicked wide, in the first 15 minutes. Recuero made her first save in the 22nd minute and another two minutes later.
Those saves would be key, because Samantha Grim fought through a crowd and beat Burga to put the Panthers up, 1-0 with 28:25 gone by in the first half.
That goal seemed to light a fire under Lynn, as they put their foot on the gas. Bailey Brasse hit the crossbar at the half-hour mark and less than a minute later, Recuero would be forced to make three saves in the span of 12 seconds.
Lynn (4-9-1, 2-6-1 SSC) kept the pressure on and it finally paid off when Monica Rojas found the back of the net with less than 10 minutes left in the first half. Florida Tech’s Macey Hedelund took a corner kick in the last six minutes, resulting in a shot by Grim, that went wide.
The Panthers needed just 4:07 into the second half to break the tie, when Maria Munoz took advantage of a penalty kick, drilling it by Burga, and giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. It took just 6:58 for the Panthers to get an insurance goal when Kelley Johnson scored her third goal of the season and made it 3-1.
That goal by Johnson would be key because Emily Weisberg would close the gap to 3-2 in the 63rd minute.
Johnson was denied her second goal of the night just minutes later, on a header that Burga was able to save.
Lynn would have their chances, as they were awarded five penalty kicks in the last 19 minutes of the match. They were unable to convert on any of them.
For more info: Lynn @ Florida Tech Box Score
Florida Tech hits the road Saturday, taking on the University of Tampa at 7:00 p.m.