College Matchday: Saint Leo at Nova Southeastern

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m., NSU Soccer Complex

NEED TO KNOW: With a week off after their defeat to Barry, the Lions will face a Nova Southeastern side that has struggled defensively this season.

The Sharks are coming off a 6-1 drubbing by Tampa earlier this week, and gave up seven to Lynn in mid-September. Currently on a three-game losing streak, and having lost five out of their last six, the Sharks only win in October came in a 1-0 win against Eckerd.

The Lions will look to take advantage of the Sharks defensive frailty, with Jonathan Glenn having scored eight goals in 13 games and Leonardo Nogueira adding four goals. Prior to their loss to Barry last Saturday, the Lions had won three games in a row, and will look to post a victory before their regular-season ending trip to rival Tampa.

College Matchday: Saint Leo at Barry

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m., Buccaneer Field

NEED TO KNOW: Two teams riding solid winning streaks face off in Miami Shores in a mid-table Sunshine State Conference clash.

The Lions have turned their form around in the last three games, including a 3-1 win against Florida Southern on Wednesday that saw them score twice in the first four minutes to take hold of the game. Jonathan Glenn and Leonardo Nogueira have been integral to the Lions recent success, Nogueira scoring the game-winning goal in the Lions upset of then No.14 Lynn and also finding the net against the Moccasins.

The Buccaneers currently sit third in the SSC standings, and can boost their seeding for the SSC tournament if they extend a five-game winning streak that has included routs in their past two victories. Barry defeated non-conference opponents St. Thomas 5-0 and Johnson and Wales 6-0 over the past eight days. Mark Anderson had three goals in those two games, and leads the Buccaneers with 13 goals.

Colleges: Lions close home schedule with victory

A pair of goals in the first four minutes propelled Saint Leo to a 3-1 victory against Florida Southern at University Field on Wednesday evening.

Leonardo Nogueira opened the scoring in the second minute, slipping unmarked into the penalty area to be found by a pass by Bruce Cutler. Nogueira took a touch to control before blasting his shot into the top-left corner of the net.

The Lions (6-6-0, 2-3-0) doubled their lead two minutes later, as a corner by Cutler was flicked on by Jonathan Glenn, finding Cody Allen at the far post for a close-range finish.

Florida Southern (1-9-0, 1-5-0) pulled a goal back quickly, Jovaughn Howard’s shot eluding Lions goalkeeper Erik Mozzo’s grasp to make the score 2-1 in the sixth minute.

Saint Leo gave itself a two-goal cushion early in the second half as it scored on a slightly fortuitous goal. A long ball forward by Cutler towards Glenn at the top of the penalty area was met by Florida Southern goalkeeper Johan Jonsson, but he only succeeded in punching the ball off the back of Glenn’s head, the ball rebounding into the vacant net.

The win wrapped up the Lions regular season home schedule, with three games on the road to come. The first of those comes this Saturday as they travel to Miami Shores to face Barry University.

Colleges: Lions grab late upset of No.14 Lynn

Leonardo Noguiera’s 88th minute bicycle kick grabbed a stunning victory for Saint Leo, who upset No.14 Lynn 2-1 on Saturday night at University Field, earning the Lions their first Sunshine State Conference victory of the season.

After Jonathan Glenn won a corner for the Lions, Bruce Cutler’s delivery into the penalty area was cleared to Daniel Asher, who hit and angled cross back into the area. Glenn redirected the cross, and it bounced once before Nogueira drove the ball home with his right foot.

Saint Leo (5-6-0, 1-3-0 SSC) had taken the lead in the 13th minute, as Viktor Wicknor picked up a pass from Asher just outside the penalty, and unleashed a shot the flew past diving Lynn goalkeeper Alessandro Salvatore.

The Fighting Knights (11-2-0, 2-2-0) tied the game six minutes later, though, as Paulo Vaz stole in behind the Lions defense to put himself in one-on-one on Saint Leo goalkeeper Erik Mozzo. Mozzo saved Vaz’s initial shot, but couldn’t keep the rebound out of the goal, as Vaz scored his 16th goal of the season.

Lynn pushed for a winner taking 13 second half shots, forcing Mozzo into three saves before Noguiera’s dramatic winner with two minutes to play handed the Fighting Knights their second loss in eight days in the bay area. Lynn lost 2-1 to the University of Tampa in double-overtime on October 2.

Saint Leo will try to extend its two-game winning streak on Wednesday as it hosts Florida Southern at 7 p.m. before closing the regular season with three games on the road.

College Matchday: No.14 Lynn at Saint Leo

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m., University Field.

NEED TO KNOW: After snapping a five-game losing streak with an impressive performance against Thomas University on Tuesday night, the Lions will take on No.14 Lynn looking for their first Sunshine State Conference win of the season.

The Fighting Knights were ranked No.1 in Division II before a loss in double-overtime to Tampa last week, and rebounded with a 7-0 win against Johnson and Wales on Wednesday night. Kyle Conrad and Anthony Desperito both scored twice in that contest, but the Fighting Knights may still be without leading scorer Paulo Vaz, who was sent off against Tampa for dangerous play.

Jonathan Glenn scored twice, and could have had a hat trick, against Thomas to end his scoring drought on Tuesday, and leads the Lions with seven goals.

Colleges: Glenn, Lions snap streak with big win

SAINT LEO – Saint Leo men’s soccer coach Joel Harrison tells his players to read the game, and to make decisions based on what their opponents is doing defensively against them.

On Tuesday night, Thomas University gave the Lions' midfield time and space, and the Lions took complete advantage, earning a 4-1 victory at University Field that snapped a five-game losing streak.

Jonathan Glenn scored twice for the Lions (4-6-0), ending a personal run of five games without a goal, including giving the Lions the lead in the fourth minute. Glenn slipped in behind the Night Hawks defense, rounding the advancing goalkeeper before coolly finishing into the open net.

“It was a big monkey off my shoulders,” Glenn said with a smile. “I was really going out for that, try to get it early to take the pressure of the whole team, and it came early so that was a great start.”

It didn’t get any better for the Night Hawks (4-5-0), who sat back and allowed the Lions to move the ball freely through the midfield. While trying to keep itself compact defensively, Thomas ended up giving the Lions freedom to roam down the flanks, and that ended up leading to Glenn’s second goal in the 24th minute.

After play was switched from the center to advancing left back Michael Panter, he hit an angled cross into the penalty area from 35 yards which found Glenn, whose powerful header gave Thomas goalkeeper Jan Feldman little chance. Harrison said he was glad not just that Glenn had found his way back onto the scoresheet, but the manner in which he had scored.

“They were good goals too, the first one we got him in behind, the second a nice service from Michael Panter,” Harrison said. “They were good runs, good finishes.”

The Lions added a third goal eight minutes later, Bruce Cutler getting a little fortunate as his shot from the edge of the penalty area deflected off a defender, looped over Feldman’s head and tucked in just under the crossbar. Cutler was excellent throughout, making good decisions with his distribution from midfield all game as the Lions controlled the bulk of possession in the first half.

That trend continued for the first 25 minutes of the second half as the Lions took the opportunity to play most of their bench, and Odyss Economides' run down the left created their fourth goal of the night as Freddy Menor finished the chance on the right side of the penalty area in the 61st minute.

After that, the game began to get a little sloppy, and a moment of poor play by the Lions in their backline led to the Night Hawks goal in the 77th minute, Alex Fleming finishing Gary Watkins cross from the right after a bad giveaway in the Lions half. But that was the only blemish on the performance for the Lions, who will likely get a far tougher test against No.14 Lynn on Saturday night.

At least for Tuesday, the victory was one to savor for the Lions.

“It was so frustrating,” Glenn said of the now-over five-game streak. “We have been playing so well, dominating teams, and we just couldn’t find a way to win, so this is a big, big weight off our shoulders.”

College Matchday: Thomas at Saint Leo

WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m., University Field

NEED TO KNOW: Saint Leo will try to end a five-game losing streak as it takes on NAIA Thomas University. The Lions have been edged out in one-goal games in their last four outings, including a 2-1 overtime loss to Florida Tech on Saturday.

The Night Hawks (4-4-0) are also looking to end a short losing run, as they have fallen in their last two contests against Saint Thomas University and Webber International. They have already defeated Sunshine State Conference opposition this season, though, defeating Florida Southern 1-0 on the road just under a month ago.

Saint Leo (3-6-0) will look to put pressure on the Night Hawks defense, which has given up 17 goals in eight games this season. Jonathan Glenn, who leads the Lions with five goals, will hope to re-find his scoring touch, as he has been held goalless since his hat trick against Georgia Southwestern on September 11.

Colleges: Lions can't hold on late, lose in OT

The Saint Leo men’s soccer team might be wondering what they have to do to earn a victory right now.

The Lions dropped their fifth straight overall, and fourth straight one-goal game, as Florida Tech scored in the 87th minute to send the game to overtime, and 59 seconds into the extra session to take a 2-1 victory at University Field on Saturday night.

The Lions (3-6-0, 0-3-0 SSC) could have taken the lead in the first half, but were denied by three outstanding saves by Panthers goalkeeper Derrick Hackett. Those saves, and an apparently effective halftime talk, caused the Panthers came out more purposefully in the second half, but it was the Lions who took the lead in the 69th minute though Leonardo Nogueira.

Nogueira finished off Jonathan Glenn’s move after Glenn had beaten his defender and drawn Hackett before flicking the ball to Noqueira on the right side of the penalty area to finish.

Victory was snatched away from the Lions late, though, as Timothy McRae found a seam in the Lions defense to fire home an equalizer.

The Panthers 6-5-0, 1-3-0 SSC) then grabbed victory within a minute of the start of overtime, as the Lions were unable to deal with a long free kick from just inside their half, and Stanley Abada took advantage to shoot home the game-winner.