University of North Florida
Florida Gulf Coast
Lady Ospreys slide in soggy struggle
10/10/2008 11:33:02 PM | Women's Soccer
UNF hosts Stetson on Sunday at 2 p.m.
UNF (5-8-1, 2-3-0 A-Sun) suffered its first home loss of the season after posting wins in each of its three previous matches at Hodges Stadium. The loss also marks the longest losing streak of the season for UNF and the second consecutive time it has allowed five goals.
FGCU (7-2-2, 2-0-2) flew to an early lead when Amber McCall netted her second goal of the season in the 11th minute with a header off a corner kick. A little more than one minute later, the Eagle lead doubled courtesy of a shot by Caytlan MacKenzie from outside the top of the box that slipped just over the hands of UNF keeper Erica Lippitt.
Lippitt faced nine shots, eight on goal, and finished the night with three saves. FGCU's keeper Stephanie Powers made seven saves in her third shutout of the season.
Facing a two-goal deficit, the Lady Osprey defense tightened and held the Eagles scoreless for the final 34 minutes of the first half. The trend continued until five minutes into the second half when Gina Petracco beat Lippitt to a ball outside the box and fired it into an empty net. The Eagles picked up their second empty-net goal in the 78th minute when a cross from the left side skidded off a puddle of water while Lippitt reached for the save.
The Lady Ospreys rattled off 13 shots in the contest but could not manage a shot on goal until after halftime. In the second half, UNF fired nine total shots with seven on goal. Junior Anna-Kaye Logan took four shots, three on goal, while fellow junior transfer from West Florida Kristin Rhodes took three shots.
UNF plays the second match of its three-match A-Sun homestand on Sunday when Stetson visits for a 2 p.m. start.
