ST. LEO, Fla. -- West Florida defeated Saint Leo in penalty kicks on Saturday to advance to the third round of the NCAA tournament. The Argos defeated the Lions 4-2 in penalties but the match is officially credited a draw. West Florida will travel to take on the top seed in the south region, Rollins.
Both teams battled throughout the match and each team had solid scoring opportunities but it was the Lions who would score the game's first goal in the 21st minute. The Lions wouldn't hold the lead for long after senior Fernando Silveira headed in a pass from Dillon Gallet in the 23rd minute.
Those would be the only two goals scored in regulation and the teams would head into a golden goal overtime. Each team had great opportunities with shots coming off of the posts, but neither team could score that crucial game winner and at the end of two overtime periods, the score remained 1-1.
The match would need penalty kicks to decide a winner and after freshman Frederik Bruhn stopped two Lion attempts and West Florida converted all four of their attempts, the Argos were victorious. This is the first time the Argos advanced to the third round since 2006, when the team that year went all the way to the NCAA championship match.
West Florida will travel to face the top seed in the south region, Rollins, on Nov. 22 in Winter Park, Fla.