Double Overtime Draw
September 07, 2008 02:38 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
September 7, 2008
BOX SCORE
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| Midfielder Carolyn Blank moves the ball up field Sunday against Washington State.
WVU Sports Communications photo |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After 110 minutes of soccer, the 13th-ranked West Virginia women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 draw with Washington State Sunday morning in Regal Soccer Stadium at the First Tennessee Lady Vols Classic.
West Virginia (3-1-1) led 1-0 after 54 minutes of action before Washington State (1-1-3) tied the match with a goal from Elysse Van Leer. Van Leer kicked the ball out of the hands of WVU goalkeeper Kerri Butler for the score. A West Virginia foul set up a Cougar free kick from 30-yards out on the left side, leading to the scramble in the box.
“I have to give Washington State credit for battling hard,” Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “And while you never want to leave a game in the hands of a referee, Kerri got robbed today. And so did this team.”
West Virginia more than doubled Washington State’s shot total but struggled to find the back of the net in its second overtime contest of the season.
“We had plenty of chances so the referee didn’t completely determine the game,” Izzo-Brown added. “We have learned our lesson and understand that it can happen. We just have to finish the opportunities we had and take him out of the equation.”
Senior Deana Everrett notched her second goal of the season less than three minutes into the second half to put the Mountaineers on top 1-0. Freshman Morgan Betscher served a ball into the box from the right flank where Everrett one-timed a deflection into the lower right corner for the score.
WVU fired a series of shots with under two minutes to play in regulation from Everrett, Greer Barnes, Carolyn Blank and Amanda Cicchini. Two attempts were saved and the other two deflected in the scurry.
The Mountaineers had a solid opportunity early in the first overtime as Cicchini was taken down in the box and no call was made resulting in a quick counter from Washington State. The Cougars quickly moved the ball up field where Kiersten Dallstream had a breakaway but a charging Butler off her line forced the shot wide right.
The Mountaineers controlled possession for much of the first half but could not generate many scoring chances against a stingy Cougar defense. The first West Virginia shot came 28 minutes in on a rocket from sophomore Megan Mischler. Mischler took a shot from 30-yards out, forcing a punch save off the crossbar by Washington State goalkeeper Lindsay Parlee.
WVU attempted four shots in the opening 45 minutes and finished the match with 23 attempts. Everrett took a game-best six shots on the afternoon. Goalkeeper Kerri Butler made three saves on 10 Washington State shots.
An All-Tournament Team will be announced following game two on Sunday of the First Tennessee Lady Vols Classic. Host Tennessee will play Illinois at 2 p.m.
The Mountaineers have a short week with a quick turnaround for a match with Kentucky on Thursday, Sept. 11. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on the Fox Soccer Channel.
