LIVE STATS AND VIDEO
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern soccer teams are headed up north Wednesday for a road doubleheader against the Saint Leo Lions. The women's team (4-3-0) kicks off at 5 p.m., with the men's game slated for a 7:30 p.m. start time.
The women's team looks to get back on track, after losing its last two matches against No. 5 Tampa and Florida Tech. NSU started off strong, winning four of the first five matches, including an overtime victory against No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne in the Columbus State University Collegiate Invitational. The Sharks' last victory came Sept., 18 when they handily beat Lynn, 5-1, at the NSU Soccer Complex.
Despite the recent skid, time is on NSU's side. The match against Saint Leo will be the team's final match before Sunshine State Conference play begins. NSU has proven to be a threat to score, averaging 2.4 goals per game over the first five contests. The Sharks will look to use this match in order to instaurate their offensive fire before Saturday's SSC opener at Lynn.
The Lions enter Tuesday's contest winning two of their last three matches. The one loss came at the hands of Rollins last Wednesday, 7-2. Saint Leo won its last match against Eckerd, 5-0, Saturday, Sept. 28. Arielle Kabangu has been on a tear for the Lions offensively, scoring 10 goals this season, including a hat trick against Eckerd.
On the men's side, NSU will get yet another test for its defense, which has been nearly flawless this season. In six matches, NSU has given up three goals. Two of them came in the season-opening loss to Young Harris and the last goal came against Lynn when the Sharks were already up, 3-0. NSU has shutout their last two opponents, No. 18 Tampa and Florida Tech, which at one point was on the fringe of the national top-25 rankings.
Statistically, No. 13 Saint Leo has the most potent offense the Sharks will experience so far. The Lions are scoring 2.6 goals per match, second in the SSC to only No. 3 Rollins. Their most recent win came in dominant fashion, defeating Eckerd, 4-0. The Lions are no slouches on defense, with a goals against average of 0.6.
Saint Leo's goals against average ranks second to only NSU, which leads the league at 0.47. The strong defensive play can be attributed to a backline full of returners and a goalkeeper,
Andrea Giombetti (Jr., Rome), who is an early candidate for SSC Defensive Player of the Year. Giombetti currently leads the league in shutouts (4), goals against average (0.47) and is second in save percentage (.864). NSU is even getting offensive production from the back, with center back
Karl Enarsson (So., Gothenburg, Sweden) leading the team at two goals scored.
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