Golden Goal By WSU Dooms Bulldogs In Double-Overtime
9/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SPOKANE, Wash. - For a hundred and nine minutes the Gonzaga University women's soccer team and the Washington State University Cougars did battle on the Gonzaga Soccer Field. But with 59 seconds remaining in the second overtime the Cougars got a lucky break and scored the golden goal to deal the Bulldogs their first loss in five matches.
With the match looking like it was going to end in a 1-1 double-overtime tie, Washington State rallied together for one last push at goal. With possession deep on the left endline, the Cougars crossed the ball into the box. Gonzaga goalkeeper Susan Brown came off her line and deflected it but it bounced off WSU's Eileen Maes' back towards the empty goal for the game-winner.
"Susan made some big saves for us today and it was so unfortunate on that last goal," stated third year head coach Amy Edwards of her junior keeper who closed out the match with season-high 13 saves. "She came out and got a piece of the cross and it ricocheted off people and found its way into the back of the net.
"I told the team that I felt that we grew up a bit as a group today, we grew and took steps forward," explained Edwards. "I feel our team is getting better and better. It was a tough thing to get on the wrong end of the result today. It just didn't show the effort and the fight that we had all day."
Gonzaga, who dropped to 4-3-0 on the season with the 2-1 setback, got on the board first stunning Washington State with a perfect set piece. Emily Hutchins, who saw her first action in four games after returning from an injury made her presence felt quickly. With a foul called 30 yards out, senior midfield Sarah Rhodes lifted the ball to the back side of the goal which found the head of classmate Emma Dolcetti. Dolcetti headed the ball back towards the left side of the goal to the waiting Hutchins who headed home her first goal of the season and her seventh career at the 27:27 mark of the first half.
"Emily was a spark for us, no doubt about it," explained Edwards of the junior who returned from a knee injury suffered earlier this season. "Her pace and her experience was the spark we needed today."
Gonzaga held on to the 1-0 lead into halftime but the slight advantage disappeared six minutes in the second half on a goal by Jocelyn Jeffers. Jeffers, who received a pass from Brandi Vega, controlled the ball 25-yards out, took a few dribbles towards goal and cracked a long-distance shot that sliced into the upper right hand corner of the goal and knotted the game at 1-1 at 51:17.
The Bulldogs had the better of the opportunities to win in regulation. Dolcetti had two chances in the 57th minute. Her initial shot was blocked but she headed the rebound and it went just wide of the goal.
The best opportunity of regulation came in the 88th minute. Rhodes, who had the ball on the endline, was able to shake her defender and mustered up a shot that bounced out of WSU's Gurveen Clair's hands. The ball slowly trickled towards the goal line but Clair was able to scoop it up before it broke through the line and before the charging Hutchins got to it.
"We have a much better possession team this year and I think that is where we see our attacking opportunities are steaming from," stated Edwards of the Zags' multiple scoring opportunities. "Our ability to keep the ball and move it as a group is improving and I felt like we had them [WSU] chasing because of our possession."
Washington State (5-2-1) closed out the match with the 27-13 shot advantage, including the 15-6 shots-on-goal advantage. The Cougars also held the 12-4 corner kick edge.
"Our defense was under pressure all match and we handled it with great composure," said Edwards. "Every opportunity WSU got they had to work for. That is really what you want out of your defense, you don't want to give things away. We made them everything and that is a big step forward for us as a back line."
Gonzaga now regroups for its match Sunday against another Pacific-12 opponent; this time the University of Washington. The Bulldogs host the Huskies at 1 p.m.
