Box Score WACO, Texas – A flurry of late goals pushed tonight's contest to extra time, but the No. 5-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team took care of business, as a golden goal from Amandine Pierre-Louis in the 96th minute pushed the Mountaineers to a 2-1 overtime win against Baylor at Betty Lou Mays Field.
 
The Mountaineers' (8-2, 1-0 Big 12) victory pushes their conference win streak to 13. The five-time reigning conference champion, WVU improves to 36-1-3 all-time in Big 12 matches.
 
Pierre-Louis' goal, her second of the season and first game-winner of the year, was the product of great individual effort. After junior Grace Cutler was fouled on a shot just above the box, Pierre-Louis stepped up for the free kick and nailed her chance, sending a hard shot directly toward the far left post.
 
"Z (Pierre-Louis) really stepped up and did her job with that goal," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "She has been practicing that type of situation with coach (Lisa) Stoia every week, and I'm just so happy her hard work paid off.
 
"We were disappointed not to get our clean sheet. This is such a tough environment to play in. For us to refocus in overtime and worry about the moment and not what happened was critical. Again, getting a win against a great Baylor team was big. Now, we move forward to Texas."
 
The teams were forced to play extra time following a pair of goals in the final 2:17 of the second half.
 
Senior forward Heather Kaleiohi broke scoreless play in the 88th minute. Posted left of the box, she received a ball from junior forward Sh'Nia Gordon and sent a high, lofting shot toward the far upper right pocket for her second score of the season.
 
BU answered with 34 seconds on the clock. With sophomore Rylee Foster off her line, defender Sarah King sent a ball toward the left post. Midfielder Aline De Lima snuck behind the WVU defense and finished on the empty net.
 
WVU finished with a 19-10 shot edge, with the Bears' Jennifer Wandt stopping seven. Foster made two stops for WVU.
 
"Heather's goal was huge for us," Izzo-Brown added. "I like the tempo and how we played. It was a tough environment tonight."
 
The Mountaineers also earned a 7-6 edge in corner kicks.
 
WVU dominated possession in the first half, forcing Wandt into four saves. WVU's best two chances of the half came within four minutes of each other. The first was the result of a great through ball from senior midfielder Alli Magaletta to senior forward Michaela Abam in the 28th minute. She turned near the 18-yard box and put a low shot on-frame, but Wandt batted it away at the last minute for a Mountaineer corner kick.
 
Senior midfielder Carla Portillo nearly nabbed the first goal in the 32nd minute. Abam again had a hand in the chance, directing a cross to just above the box. Portillo made a move before launching a hard shot that Wandt caught near the left post.
 
The WVU defense stood strong late in the first half, as the Bears (6-2-1, 0-1 Big 12) earned back-to-back shots in the 36th minute off their second corner kick. Freshman Lauren Segalla blocked the second, a long shot by Aline De Lima.
 
The Mountaineers smothered the Bear defense at the top of the second half, and Gordon earned three shots in the first 10 minutes. WVU nearly capitalized on Gordon's second shot in the 55th minute. After bringing the ball over the midline, she pushed wide right before sending a shot in from 16-yards out. Wandt batted it away, and Abam pounced on the rebound at the left post, but her chip went just left.
 
Abam nearly broke open the game nine minutes later with a long blast from 20-yards out, but the ball carried just over the crossbar.
 
The Mountaineers stood their ground in the 79th minute. After Foster pushed away a shot from Lauren Piercy at the left post, BU earned three straight corner kicks. The Bears earned one shot off the second corner, but WVU blocked away.
 
Neither team had a great look in extra time prior to Pierre-Louis' golden goal. Abam earned the lone chance, but her shot inside the box went wide.
 
Abam finished with a game-high seven shots.
 
WVU is now 1-1 in overtime matches this season. The win pushes the team' all-time series edge to 5-0-1.
 
The Mountaineers stay in Texas and face the No. 17 Longhorns on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. EST, at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. The match will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.