ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — UNC Pembroke saw the first point roll through Tuesday, but the Flagler College women's soccer team had the last.
 
When the fourth-seeded Braves scored 11 minutes into the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinal, the top-seeded, No. 3-ranked Saints didn't panic; instead, they just turned it up a notch. Flagler's Annie Habeeb netted a goal 14 minutes later to knot it up, and then she did it again just after half in what proved to be the game-winning score as the Saints completed the come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Saints Field.
 
"I thought we were playing some excellent soccer early and just when we had control of the game, UNCP hit us with a brilliant finish from Rilee Seering," Flagler head coach Ashley Martin said. "At that point, we knew it'll be a grind to get back into the game, but we continued to plug away and stay true to our game plan. We got back into the game with a wonderful pattern of play that ended with Annie Habeeb tucking it away.
 
"We reiterated our game plan at half time, and eventually found the winning goal with a quality delivery from Maria and a top-class finish from Annie. I thought we did a great job of seeing out the game, and although we had some great chances to put the game out of sight, we neutralized any UNCP attacks."
 
On Saturday, the No. 1 Saints (8-0-1) will host No. 3 Columbus State University, who knocked off No. 2 North Georgia by a score of 2-1 Tuesday, in the PBC Tournament championship game at noon back at Saints Field. The two-time, regular-season champion Flagler will now play to defend its tournament title versus the lone conference team it allowed a regular-season goal to in a 1-1 tie at CSU on February 28.
 
Outside of the header Rilee Seering played perfectly — via a free kick from Anna Grossheim – that bounced just out of the Sarah-Lisa Dubel's reach in the 11th minute, the Saints' goalkeeper didn't allow another ball to pass. The senior saw six shots and had a pair of saves, while her offense fired off 17 shots and matched their goal plus one.
 
"We don't concede many goals, but when we do, like today, we never get discouraged," Habeeb said. "As a team, we respond well to adversity and challenges; we never back down. I think today it pushed us to be better and step up our performance."
 
Habeeb led the Saints with six shots as her first goal came in the 25th minute when Josefine Nilsen and Sara Sandberg linked up for the double assist in the box. The duo used a pair of short passes to put Habeeb in position for the game-tying score, while Maria Castorino Mujica was responsible for the game-winning assist that Habeeb used a perfect touch on and finished into the left corner for the lead in the 48th minute. Castorino Mujica was the next best with three shots, while Lorena Lopez, Sandberg and Nilsen all had two shots each.
 
Over the past three matches, Habeeb has five goals — with a pair of those being multi-score games and both game winners against UNCP — to put her with a team-high seven goals and 17 points. The senior, who plans to come back for her fifth year and just earned PBC Player of the Week honors ahead of Tuesday's match, credits her recent surge to each player on the field and the firepower around her, which has trickled down and allowed her to cash in on the chances she's had that have ultimately put the Saints back in contention for yet another championship.
 
"The amount of talent and depth we have on this team makes us incredibly dangerous," Habeeb said. "It starts with the back line and goalkeeper shutting teams down and not giving them any hope. The midfield works really hard and holds us together. The front line has the job of creating opportunities and finishing, which is the reward for the whole team's hard work.
 
"Teams simply cannot rely on shutting one or two players down because there are nine more players on the field who can rise to the occasion and step up. My teammates are some of the hardest working, most supportive, and passionate people and playing with them makes me a better player and person every day. Without a doubt, I have had the opportunities and goals because of them."
 
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