WINTER PARK, Fla. (October 12, 2022) - It was a playoff-like atmosphere at Cahall-Sandspur Field on Wednesday evening as two of the top-20 teams in the country battled in a Sunshine State Conference matchup. At the end of ninety minutes, the score was a draw, 1-1. The #20 Rollins Tars now stand at 7-2-2 (3-2-1 SSC) while the #9 Florida Tech Panthers remain unbeaten at 5-0-5 (2-0-4 SSC).
The physicality in this game was intense as both teams gave maximum effort. In a change of pace from last week's game against Nova Southeastern, the referee allowed the boys to play on for the most part. The game featured two of the top defensive squads in the conference, and it showed as neither team was able to put together too many quality looks.
In the 20th minute of action, a foul was called against Florida Tech about 25 feet away from the net. Coach
Keith Buckley called upon his sniper
Nazar Tsaruk to control the set piece, and he did it with perfection, ripping a laser beam into the top left corner of the goal to give Rollins a 1-0 lead.
The Tars would take that 1-0 lead into halftime. Each goalie recorded one save, while Rollins had the edge in corner kicks (4-1) and total shots (5-2).
The second half played the exact same as the first, with bodies hitting the floor and both team struggling to make their way through elite defense. The Panthers did manage to get a few looks early on, firing four shots in the first ten minutes of play, but
Maximillian Obermeier was able to turn them all away. However, in the 72nd minute, Tech was able to play a corner kick beautifully. After sending it into the box among a throng of players, the ball bounced out to Jack Edwards. He gained control and lined up a screamer that found it's way just under the crossbar to knot things up at one.
A flurry of activity in the final fifteen minutes saw both teams trying desperately to score from anywhere on the field, but neither defense would succumb, leading to a 1-1 final.
Florida Tech ended the game with twelve shots (six on goal) while Rollins managed eight (three on target). Obermeier ended the night with five saves. The two teams combined for a whopping 43 fouls on the field, but only one yellow card was distributed.
Next up for the Tars is another tough test as they travel to Tampa to take on the #13 ranked Spartans. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Saturday, October 15.
