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EFSC Women’s Soccer Beats Southern Maryland 1-0

By  //  November 21, 2013

efsc fate Now Rests With S. Maryland and Navarro

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida State College’s women’s soccer team did what it needed to do on Tuesday, beating College of Southern Maryland 1-0 and now Eastern Florida’s fate lies in Southern Maryland’s hands.

Eastern Florida's number 3 Amanda Lodge celebrates with her team after scoring what would be the match's winning goal in the second half. (EFSC image)
Eastern Florida’s number 3 Amanda Lodge celebrates with her team after scoring what would be the match’s winning goal in the second half. (EFSC image)

Eastern Florida’s victory on the second day of the NJCAA Women’s Division I Soccer National Championship Tournament on its home field kept it alive for at least one more day following its 2-1 loss to third-ranked to Navarro College on Monday.

Sixth-ranked Southern Maryland meets Navarro at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a berth in Friday’s semifinals at stake for all three teams. Only one can advance.

Tenth-ranked Eastern Florida, Southern Maryland and Navarro could all end up at 1-1 in pool play with a complicated series of tiebreakers kicking in.

That Eastern Florida still has a chance was credit to a gutsy performance by a physically and mentally worn down team that dug deep one more time.

EFSC FATE NOW RESTS WITH S. MARYLAND AND NAVARRO

If Navarro beats Southern Maryland and goes through to the semifinals at least Eastern Florida’s 16 sophomores went out winners in their final game.

Eastern Florida State College's Samantha Solis goes high for the ball near the goal during the hard fought match that kept the Titans tournament hopes alive. (EFSC image)
Eastern Florida State College’s Samantha Solis goes high for the ball near the goal during the hard fought match that kept the Titans tournament hopes alive. (EFSC image)

The teams were tied at 0-0 after a first half bereft of scoring chances. Southern Maryland had the better of the play but didn’t seriously threaten Eastern Florida sophomore goalkeeper Katelyn Kern.

Eastern Florida had one chance at Hawks sophomore goalkeeper Jasmine Biggs but missed an open left side of the net. Otherwise Southern Maryland’s strapping back line and strong midfield kept the Titans at bay.

The Titans finally broke through when Southern Maryland’s defense misplayed a pass that went directly to sophomore forward Amanda Lodge. The sophomore forward beat Biggs cleanly into the top of the net from about 30 yards out with 38 minutes, 36 seconds to play.

“I knew I had to shoot, I just saw it going in, I’m pretty sure I blacked out, I don’t even know what happened,” Lodge said. “It was really exciting.

“It was a deflection or something and Jamie (Perriello) was going for it and I told her ‘just leave it, leave it.’ I saw the goal and I touched it (the ball) and shot it.”