ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Men’s Soccer) – Florida Tech took a 1-0 halftime lead, but Eckerd earned a penalty kick in the 58th minute to tie the game at 1-1. The teams, unable to find a third goal, ended in a 1-1 draw through 110 minutes of play at Turley Athletic Complex on Wednesday.

“It is a tough one to accept, to come out with a draw,” head coach Robin Chan said. “But at the same time it is still moving us forward in the right direction. We have four points [in conference play] now, and it is important to get points at this stage of the season.”

In the 32nd minute, FIT (4-0-2, 1-0-1 SSC) broke the scoreless drought. Yannis Pele sent a perfect through-pass from midfield that went between two Eckerd (2-3-1, 0-1-1 SSC) defenders. Racing past the defenders, Antoine Aupiais collected the ball. The Tritons’ goalkeeper then made a late decision to go towards Aupiais.

With a flick of the ball, Aupiais chipped it over the keeper and into the goal to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. FIT took the lead into the break.

The game began to get physical in the second half.

In the 58th minute, Eckerd sent a cross into FIT’s 18-yard box. Two players jumped up for the ball, a Panther and a Triton. Then the whistle blew on what appeared to be a foul that could have gone either way. The call went in favor of Eckerd, awarding the Tritons with a penalty kick.

Eckerd’s Matt Duffy capitalized on the kick to tie the game at 1-1.

FIT controlled possession through the remainder of the half, outshooting the Tritons by a margin of 8-3. With 37 second remaining in regulation, John Bocinsky hit the far post before time expired to send the game into overtime.

Neither team recorded a shot in the first overtime, forcing a second 10-minute session.

The Panthers controlled play in the second overtime, holding a 3-0 margin in shots. With seven seconds remaining, Drake Hillman sent in a shot that was blocked. Then time expired to end the game in a 1-1 draw, giving both teams a point in the conference standings.

FIT returns home on Saturday, Sept. 22 when it hosts Saint Leo. The Panthers and Lions will meet at 1:30 p.m. Live stats and audio will be available at http://bit.ly/P60qNL.

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