Saki Sanno scored the winning goal and assisted on Jacksonville University’s equalizer as the Jacksonville Dolphins defeated Stetson 2-1 on Oct. 8 in DeLand, Florida. The comeback victory kept Jacksonville unbeaten in ASUN play and handed Stetson its first loss of the season.
Stetson took a 1-0 lead in the 64th minute, but Jacksonville responded slightly more than three minutes later. Claudia Perez Avila scored from outside the penalty area after combining with Sanno, who recorded the assist on the equalizer. It was Perez Avila’s first goal of the season.
Sanno then put Jacksonville ahead in the 74th minute. She scored on a free kick around the Stetson defensive line, finishing a one-goal, one-assist performance. Sanno led the match with five shots and four shots on goal.
Jacksonville answers Stetson’s second-half goal
The Dolphins entered the match seeking their first outright road win of the season after a 1-1 draw at Queens the previous week. Sanno’s performance marked her second multi-point game at Jacksonville. She led the Dolphins with three assists and ranked second on the team with two goals.
Jacksonville’s defense protected the one-goal advantage during the closing minutes. Goalkeeper Taylor Gardner made six saves, including a late stop after coming out of the net to break up a Stetson attacking sequence. Ragna Magnúsdóttir also defended a Stetson shot out of play during a late defensive sequence.
Gardner moved to 1-0-1 in ASUN play and recorded a career-high six saves at Jacksonville. Eva McCoy scored Stetson’s goal, with Stella Comana providing the assist.
Dolphins remain in ASUN contention
The victory improved Jacksonville to 4-3-4 overall and 2-0-2 in ASUN play. The Dolphins had eight points after four conference games and one postponement, placing them third in the ASUN standings.
Head coach Ryan Moon said the result continued a pattern of Jacksonville responding after falling behind in conference play.
“Really happy,” Moon said of the win. “That’s the third game in conference where we’ve gone behind and had the mentality and confidence to come back and get points. They’ve grown a lot since we started this year and it’s amazing what you can do when you’re playing for each other.”
Jacksonville is scheduled to play at FGCU on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. FGCU entered the matchup with a 3-0-2 ASUN record and was coming off a 2-1 win over UNF. The game is a matchup for the top conference spot.
FSB Take
Jacksonville University earned its first outright road win of the season by responding quickly after Stetson took the lead. Sanno directly contributed to both goals, while Gardner’s six saves helped the Dolphins preserve the comeback.
The result also kept Jacksonville unbeaten through four ASUN games and positioned the Dolphins for an important matchup at FGCU. The upcoming game will test Jacksonville against an FGCU team that entered with a 3-0-2 conference record.
Source: Original report