Spring Hill College tallied a goal 40 seconds into overtime to hand the Lee University men’s soccer team a 1-0 defeat Sunday afternoon in a Gulf South Conference contest. The Flames have dropped two straight matches and have lost their last three GSC battles to fall to 8-4 and 4-3 within the conference.
The Badgers (8-5, 4-4 GSC) tallied the winning goal off Matthew Moreno’s header in the 91st minute. The goal was set up by Carlos Fernandes.
Spring Hill held Lee to just two shots in the first half.
The Flames upped the pressure over the next 45 minutes and outshot their hosts 10-4 in the second half with three shots put on goal. SHC had one shot on goal in the first half and two more in the second, before placing one more on frame in the short overtime period.
All three of Lee’s shots on goal came in the 82nd minute. Mattia Balzano’s shot was saved by the SHC keeper Alessandro Erdelyi. Following a corner kick, Edgar Cervantes’ shot required a team save and Balzano’s rebound attempt was stopped by Erdelyi.
Spring Hill had one last gasp attempt to tally the winning goal in regulation, but Joao Amaral’s shot was saved by Sam Keener as the last seconds ticked off.
Erdelyi recorded the shutout win with two saves in nearly 91 minutes in goal. Keener was charged with the loss after saving three of the four shots he faced.
The Flames hold onto third place in the GSC, just one-half game ahead of Spring Hill with four matches remaining. AUM leads the conference at 6-1-1 and Montevallo sits in second place at 6-2. West Florida and Mississippi College are just outside the top four with 3-2-1 records.
Lee returns home on Friday, October 22 to take on the University of Montevallo. The GSC contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the Lady Flames.