Palm Beach Atlantic men’s soccer defeated Saint Leo 1-0 on Sept. 26 in Saint Leo, Florida, as Kobi Thomas scored the game-winning penalty kick in the 69th minute. The victory moved Palm Beach Atlantic to 4-2-3 overall and 2-1-0 in Sunshine State Conference play. Saint Leo fell to 3-3-2 overall and 0-2-1 in conference competition.
The match remained scoreless through halftime before Thomas converted from the penalty spot. Thomas led Palm Beach Atlantic with four shots and put two on goal. Palm Beach Atlantic finished with three shots on goal, while Saint Leo recorded six.
Flavio Giannini kept Saint Leo off the scoreboard throughout the match. He made six saves over 90 minutes and recorded the shutout. Saint Leo also had two shots on goal after Thomas gave Palm Beach Atlantic the lead, but Giannini preserved the Sailfish advantage.
Thomas breaks the deadlock
Palm Beach Atlantic created early chances, including a shot from Thomas and an attempt by Ole Lichter. The Sailfish continued to apply pressure after halftime with chances from Thomas and Fabio Reck before Thomas converted the penalty kick in the 69th minute. The goal stood as the only score of the match.
Robi Lukau and Marcel Duffau also supplied chances for Palm Beach Atlantic during the scoreless first half. Reck forced a save before Thomas finished the decisive play from the penalty spot. Palm Beach Atlantic held its 1-0 lead through the final whistle.
What comes next
Palm Beach Atlantic will host Nova Southeastern on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Rinker Athletic Campus in West Palm Beach.
FSB Take
Palm Beach Atlantic men’s soccer paired Thomas’ finishing with Giannini’s six-save shutout to earn a conference road victory. The Sailfish improved to 2-1-0 in Sunshine State Conference play while limiting Saint Leo to one goal fewer than its three shots on goal. Nova Southeastern will be the next opponent when Palm Beach Atlantic returns home.
Source: Original report