WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic (5-5) faced a tough match on Sunday, falling to Saint Leo (5-3) with a final score of 15-11 at the PBA Soccer/Lacrosse Field. The 'Fish put in a valiant effort, firing off 41 shots—30 of which were on target—but couldn't crack Saint Leo's defense, backed by their goalkeeper's impressive 19 saves.

Leading the charge for the Sailfish was Cooper Porter, who netted a season-high three goals on five shots, four of which were on target. Zion Lee matched Porter's hat trick, finding success on six of his eight attempts. Braylon Baker contributed with two goals and an assist, scoring twice on seven shots. In the net, Vincent Probst stood strong with 12 saves, facing 33 shots throughout the contest.

Palm Beach Atlantic came out strong in the first quarter, with Lee opening the scoring at 14:21. He doubled the lead at 11:54, assisted by Baker, giving the 'Fish an early 2-0 advantage.

However, Saint Leo answered back with three consecutive goals, starting at 8:21, to take a 3-2 lead. Despite several attempts from the 'Fish, including a saved shot by Noah Zimmerman, they couldn't find the net again before the quarter ended with Saint Leo up 3-2.

In the second quarter, Saint Leo leveraged early opportunities, including a man-up goal from Greg Palmer at 13:12, widening their lead. Palmer struck again soon after. The Sailfish fought back with Baker scoring at 11:42, assisted by Tyler Degirolamo.

Porter narrowed the gap with a goal at 6:16, but Saint Leo kept the pressure on, with Tristan LeBlanc and Ben Baker adding to their tally. Jackson Pierce scored his first career goal at 5:10, but Saint Leo quickly responded, finishing the half ahead 9-5.

Saint Leo started the third quarter with a quick goal from Ben Baker. The Sailfish countered with a faceoff win by Degirolamo, but a turnover halted their momentum. Saint Leo took advantage, scoring two more goals.

The 'Fish gained some ground later in the quarter, with Baker scoring on a man-up chance after an assist from Gabe Eckhart. Porter added another goal, and Patrick Law's man-up goal further closed the gap. The quarter ended with the Sailfish trailing 13-8.

The final quarter saw the Sailfish make a spirited push. Porter scored early to ignite PBA's momentum. Nicholas Johnson's defensive play sparked a turnover, leading to Zimmerman scoring and narrowing the deficit to 13-10. Ethan Storey was a force on the field, recording a season-high four ground balls.

Saint Leo responded with two quick goals, stretching their lead to 15-10. Lee found the net again, tightening the score to 15-11. Despite several attempts and a solid defensive effort, the 'Fish couldn't close the gap further in the final minutes, as the game wrapped up with a 15-11 victory for Saint Leo.

The 'Fish are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to Lakeland to take on Florida Southern.