MELBOURNE, Fla. – Two nights after an impressive victory in their national championship game rematch with Franklin Pierce, the Florida Tech women's soccer team returned to the Rick Stottler Field pitch on Saturday night with a non-conference matchup with Southern New Hampshire. Three goals in the game's final 17 minutes helped the Panthers make it two for two so far in 2026 with a 4-1 win.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 1 Florida Tech 4 | Southern New Hampshire 1
Records: No. 1 Florida Tech 2-0-0 (0-0-0 SSC) | Southern New Hampshire 0-1-0 (0-0-0 NE-10)
Location: Rick Stottler Field | Melbourne, Fla.
GAME NOTES
• The Panthers nearly found the ultimate fast start as
Eboni Bradshaw and
Lotte Waibel were both denied in the game's opening minute.
• Much like they did on Thursday, Florida Tech would not have to wait long to go in front as Waibel earned her first goal in the Crimson and Gray in the 15
th minute, putting home a rebound after
Alice Mottershead's initital shot was saved.
• Bradshaw almost doubled the Tech lead just a minute after the restart, only to have her shot denied by the Penmen keeper.
• The 28
th minute saw a leaping save from the SNHU keeper to deny
Iselin Brualokken.
• The Penmen equalized just under two minutes before halftime thanks to a booming shot from almost 30 yards that hit off the crossbar and in.
• Waibel attempted to put Florida Tech back on top as the first half clock expired but her shot from the top of the box was saved.
• The Panthers had the first scoring opportunity of the second half in the 60
th minute when
Anae Malbete's shot from distance forced a hurried save from the SNHU keeper.
• Two minutes later, Mottershead had her effort stopped on the goal line.
• The 65
th minute saw Tech have two opportunities to take the lead denied. First,
Ellinor Blaasternes had her near-post shot stopped and then
Maria Rojas' headed effort from the resulting corner also found the arms of the keeper.
• Waibel got Florida Tech the breakthrough they'd been seeking in the 73
rd minute, as she shielded a defender and redirected Mottershead's cross into the Penmen net to earn her brace.
• Mottershead secured the victory with 10 minutes to go with a first-time strike from Brualokken to cap a beautiful team move.
• Just over a minute later, Bradshaw scored the first goal of her Panther career by jumping on the end of an errant backpass to the keeper.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• The Panthers lead the all-time series with the Penmen, 2-0-0. This was the first ever meeting between the schools in Melbourne.
• The win was Head Coach
Katy Freels' 32
nd in charge of Florida Tech, tying her with Dustin Smith for the third most wins for a coach in program history.
•
Alice Mottershead's assist was the 11
th of her Panther career, which ties her for the sixth most in program history.
•
Lotte Waibel's first half goal marked the 13
th consecutive game in which the Panthers scored dating back to October 29
th of last season. It is the third longest such streak in program history and the longest since a 16-game streak during the 2009 season.
• The eight goals in their first two games are most scored by the Crimson and Gray in the season's first two games since netting nine to begin the 2012 campaign.
• Florida Tech is 5-0-1 all-time against the Northeast-10.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will have their second ranked matchup in three games this season when they welcome #22 Ashland to Rick Stottler Field on Thursday, September 3
rd. Kickoff is set for 7 P.M.
