BOCA RATON, Fla. - In a physical, hard-fought match, the Lynn women's soccer team held strong for over 80 minutes before a late Saint Leo goal proved to be the difference in a 1-0 defeat on Saturday evening. The Fighting Knights dropped to 1-6-4 overall and 0-4-1 in Sunshine State Conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The early minutes were tightly contested as both sides traded possessions and throw-ins, with neither creating clear scoring chances through the first six minutes
- Saint Leo tallied the first shot of the match in the 7th minute, but the attempt was blocked by the Lynn defense
- The Lions played a physical first half, committing three fouls in a three-minute span between the 7th and 10th minutes, each leading to Lynn free kicks in the attacking half
- Saint Leo continued to push forward, with the Lions seeing a 19th-minute shot blocked before Lynn reset with a goal kick
- Lynn generated its first true chance in the 36th minute when Kayla Bradby sent a shot just off target, followed by the Fighting Knights' first corner kick of the half
- The first half ended level at 0-0, with Emma Brunelli making one save and Lynn holding firm defensively despite Saint Leo's attack
- The Lions registered the first chance of the half in the 55th minute, but Saint Leo's attempt missed wide of the frame
- Saint Leo earned a corner in the 66th minute, but Lynn's back line cleared the danger before Brunelli reset play
- Lynn generated its best sequence in the 73rd minute when Arianna Kinsley had a shot blocked, leading to back-to-back corner kicks
- Moments later, Juliana Torres tested the keeper with a low shot to the right corner, but the Lions made the save to keep the match scoreless
- The Lions capitalized in the 85th minute as Ainsley Meyer's free kick from long distance found the net for a Saint Leo 1-0 lead
- The Fighting Knights continued to push forward in the final minutes but couldn't find the equalizer, as the Lions held on for the narrow win
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Torres had a game-leading two shots on goal and leads the team with 14 shots and 10 shots on goal this season
- Kinsley added a shot and is second on the team with eight shots in 2025
- Brunelli, Torres, Peyton Kaiser and Savannah Larsen played the full 90 minutes
- Lynn is 3-2-2 against Saint Leo since 2019
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn will head to Barry for a mid-week SSC matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 6:00 pm