Panthers Fall 3-1 to Lions in Final Regular Season Match

Panthers Fall 3-1 to Lions in Final Regular Season Match SAINT LEO, Fla.-The Florida Tech Panthers (4-9-1, 2-6) fell 3-1 in Sunshine State Conference
action to #4 nationally ranked Saint Leo Lions (15-1, 7-1) this afternoon before a packed crowd. This loss proved to be Saint Leo’s first ever SSC
Championship title in 30 years since the start of the league.

Leading the way for Saint Leo was junior forward Asmir Pervan (Simmern, Germany) scored two goals to lead the way for the Lions.

The Lions took the lead for good 11 minutes and 45 seconds into the match on a breakaway goal by Pervan off a long pass from freshman forward Eusebio
Montoya (Smithfield, NC).

Saint Leo went up 2-0, 15 minutes later when senior Danny Rissanen(Palm Harbor, Fla.) drilled a shot from 20 yards off freshman Panther keeper Cory Collins
(Melbourne, Fla.) into the back of the net. Sophomore midfielder Luis Quintero (Cape Coral, Fla.), picked up his sixth assist on the play.

A mistake in the back by Saint Leo senior goalie Matias Perez (Buenos Aires, Argentina) landed the Panthers their only goal. Perez was caught far from the
net and freshman forward Matt Cermak (Melbourne, Fla.) outfought him for the ball and chipped it in the open net at the 36:04 mark. This was Cermak’s
fourth goal on the season.

The Lions gained the breathing room they needed five minutes and 22 seconds from the end of regulation when Pervan broke away from a defender and beat
Collins. It was the second time Pervan broke away and came at Collins one-on-one.

Saint Leo controlled play from start to finish, out shooting the Panthers 18-8. Florida Tech won the battle of corner kicks 4-3. Six of Saint Leo’s 18
shots were on goal, while four of Florida Tech’s eight shots were on goal.