Gardner-Webb Drops Double Overtime Heartbreaker To VMI, 3-2
November 02, 2008 | Women's Soccer
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Gardner-Webb women's soccer team tied the contest against VMI in the 79th minute, but a goal at the 107:42 mark propelled the homestanding Keydets to a 3-2 victory in Big South Conference action.
The Bulldogs fall to 4-12-2 overall and 2-5-2 in Big South play.
VMI improves to 9-9-1 on the year and 5-3-1 in conference
competition.
After a shot by Dawn Rollyson in the 106th minute, the Keydets gained control of the ball and ultimately the contest. At the 107:37 mark, Megan Strand took a corner kick for the home team and found Amanda Berrios, who headed home the ball from the middle of the box for her fifth goal of the season and the 3-2 win.
VMI opened the contest with two shots in the first 4:36, one of which was on goal. After nearly two minutes with neither side gaining an advantage in the other squad's offensive third, head coach Kevin Mounce's team fired off five consecutive shots over a five-minute span. However, the two shots by Angie Harvey, one by Megan Tremblay and two from Dawn Rollyson all were wide of the goal.
After two consecutive shots by Chrissy Beach that were high and wide of the frame, the Bulldogs regained possession and earned a corner kick. Stephanie Benshoof took the corner kick at the 16:27 mark. Eventually, Harvey came up with the ball and found Benshoof standing just outside the box. Benshoof rocketed home her second goal of the season into the bottom corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead. Both of her scores this season have given GWU a 1-0 lead.
Megan Reimer tried to tack on another goal for the visitors at the 19:33 mark, but her shot was saved by Heidi Beemer. A minute later, Dara Goldstein fired a shot toward the goal, but Beemer once again came up huge.
Equally for the Bulldogs in goal, Jessica Tuggle kept the Keydets
off the board with some superb saves in the first portion of the
contest.
In the 33rd minute, Sarah Strand hit a sliding shot on the far post after a cross from the other side of the box, tying the score at 1-1. Megan Strand was credited with an assist on the play. From there, neither team attempted a shot in the final 12:50 of the stanza.
With momentum from the score on its side, VMI struck first in the second period. At the 49:23 mark, Berrios found the back of the net off an assist from Megan Strand. Berrios was in the middle of the box and headed home Megan Strand's corner kick for the 2-1 advantage.
GWU, however, would not give up without a fight. Reimer rocketed a shot toward the goal just two minutes later, but she was turned away by Beemer. From there, the Bulldogs attempted six of the next eight shots in the match. Their sixth shot proved a tremendous one as Chelsea Hearne found a streaking Rollyson from the midfield. Rollyson then put the ball away from just inside the box for her first collegiate tally.. The goal evened the contest at 2-2 with just 11:14 remaining in regulation.
VMI tried to win the contest in regulation, but Sarah Strand's shot with 7:21 to play was saved by Tuggle. With 4:33 to play, Megan Strand's shot hit the post. Neither team was able to score, sending the match into overtime.
Just 57 seconds into overtime, Olivia Moore tried to end the match, but Tuggle was up to the challenge. The save by Tuggle was the only one she would need in the first overtime as VMI would not earn another shot on goal. However, the Bulldogs were unable to get a shot off in the first overtime.
In the second overtime session, Harvey fired a shot from just outside the box 17 seconds in, but it sailed just wide of the goal. Benshoof's corner kick found Kasey Gladhill, who sent a shot toward the goal, but it was saved by Beemer. Rollyson's shot at the 105:51 mark was wide of the frame as well, marking the last shot GWU would take in the contest.
For the match, VMI notched 28 shots to 19 by GWU. Eleven of the Keydets' shots were on goal while seven of the Bulldogs' attempts were on frame.
Tuggle posted eight saves in the match to Beemer's five. GWU was
whistled for six offsides calls while VMI was called for one
infraction.
Next up for GWU is the Big South Women's Soccer Championship, which begins Nov. 6 at High Point, N.C. The Bulldogs will take on top-seeded Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m. The postseason will be the first in two seasons for GWU, which narrowly missed qualifying for the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
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