UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Down a goal late to the defending National Champions and playing in front of a record-crowd of 5,791 fans, the No. 5-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team dug deep and pulled out a 1-1 double-overtime draw at No. 2-ranked Penn State tonight, in the teams' season opener at Jeffrey Field.

 

Junior forward Michaela Abam earned the equalizer in the 77th minute, and freshman Rylee Foster played lights out in her first career game, earning nine saves, including three in the first overtime period, to preserve the tie.

 

BOX SCORE | SEASON STATS | PHOTOS

 

“A lot of grit tonight. I was very proud that when the whistle started the game we were fighting, and at the end we were fighting,” WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “Anyone could have won this game tonight – we had our chances, and they had theirs. I was really proud that we could find a way to equalize the game and get ourselves in a position to win. Unfortunately, we just couldn't find the back of the net.”

 

Celebrating their NCAA title this evening, the Nittany Lions (0-0-1) made a strong push in the first overtime, tallying four shots, three on-frame in a 79-second span, but Foster stood her ground each time. Most impressive was a catching save on a shot from a driving Megan Schafer in the 100th minute.

 

Neither team had a clean look at the net in the second overtime, although WVU did earn two corner kicks.

 

The Nittany Lions finished with a 17-14 edge in shots. Foster's nine saves were matched by PSU's six stops, credited to freshman Amanda Dennis. The Mountaineers (0-0-1) claimed a 4-3 edge in corners.

 

With PSU content to hold the ball up one goal with under 15 minutes to play in regulation, the Mountaineers made the most of a chance an earned chance. Receiving the ball from junior defender Amandine Pierre-Louis near midfield, sophomore Vanessa Flores led a streaking Abam with a through pass up the left side of the box. The junior forward met the ball and took her defender wide before sneaking a shot around Dennis for her 21st career goal. The assist was the first career point for midfielder Flores.

 

“Michaela's goal was incredible – she showed great composure,” Izzo-Brow explained. “I ask Mic to do a lot for this team, and I was really proud that she wasn't afraid to stand up to any challenge I threw her way tonight. When she scored, we were looking for someone to find the back of the net, and she displayed great composure and did just that.”

 

PSU broke scoreless play in the 51st minute, converting on a misplayed ball by WVU in the Mountaineers' backfield. Freshman forward Laura Freigang pounced on the ball just inside the box and sent her bending shot toward the left post and out of Foster's reach.

 

Riding momentum, PSU nearly pushed its lead to two goals in the 54th minute, as forward Frannie Crouse charged the net, but Foster smartly dropped to her knees to stop the breakaway chance.

 

“I was very proud of Rylee. She stepped up to the big challenge tonight,” Izzo-Brown added. “It's not easy to walk into Jeffrey Field and face 5,000 screaming fans. She got the job done for us tonight.”

 

Great passing from Amandine Pierre-Louis and Bianca St. Georges nearly set-up a chance for Abam early in the fourth minute, but her shot was stopped by Dennis at the right post.

 

Fourteen minutes later, and Abam and sophomore forward Nia Gordon again challenged the Nittany Lion goalkeeper with consecutive shots. Gordon got her look first, taking a cross from Pierre-Louis into the box, but her in-stride shot was punched away by Dennis. Abam pounced on the rebound, but Dennis was there again for the immediate save.

 

Foster's first career save came on a soft shot by Haleigh Echard in the 20th minute. Foster faced a bigger challenge five minutes later. After play dissolved following a Nittany Lion corner, PSU worked the ball into the box to a waiting Elizabeth Ball. She dipped and connected with her head, but Foster grabbed the shot for the save.

 

Foster's third save of the first half came under fire, as Grace Fisk got her foot on the ball at the goal line following a PSU corner, but the Cambridge, Ontario, native was in the right place for the kick save.

 

Pierre-Louis capped a strong first-half showing with a blistering, running shot at the top of the box in the 40th minute, but Dennis was able to make the catching save.

 

Abam paced the field with five shots, four on-frame. Schafer led PSU with four shots, and she and Echard each placed two on-net.

 

 

The Mountaineers return to Jeffrey Field Sunday for a noon match against Buffalo. The Bulls fell to Hofstra, 1-0, earlier today.