CLINTON, S.C. ? Kate Baker's first goal of the season gave Presbyterian a 3-2 overtime win over VMI in Big South Conference women's soccer action on Wednesday evening.
The Blue Hose (4-10-2, 2-4-2 Big South) fought back from one-goal deficits in both the first and second halves before Baker converted on a pass from Sheldon Robinson in the game's 98th minute. The win, PC's first in overtime this season, dropped the Keydets (8-9-2, 4-3-1 Big South) to under .500 on the season and dashed any hopes of a Big South regular season championship.
Keydet senior Megan Strand opened the game's scoring in the 19th minute, finding the back of the net from 15 yards out for her fifth goal of the season. PC's Emily Davis knotted the game at 1-1 in the 33rd minute, shooting from the edge of the 18-yard box following a pass from Stephanie Aaron.
VMI out-shot the Blue Hose 6-3 and held a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks through 45 minutes of play.
The game continued at 1-1 throughout the second half until the 69th minute, when VMI freshman Olivia Moore, the Big South's leading scorer, broke a six-match scoring drought to put the visitors up 2-1. With less than nine minutes remaining in regulation, however, the hosts answered when Rachel Lamb put home Stefani Thacker's corner kick.
Each team managed seven shots in the second half and one attempt in overtime. Strand's shot in the 95th minute was saved by PC keeper Abby Young, while Baker's shot three minutes later ended the affair.
Young made four saves in the PC net, while VMI sophomore Heidi Beemer made two saves in the loss.
The women's soccer team wraps up the regular season on Sunday afternoon, as Gardner-Webb visits Patchin Field on Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
HEAD COACH BRYAN WILLIAMS- “Megan scored a great goal from well outside of the area, catching their keeper off the line with a brilliantly-struck ball to put us up 1-0. They scored off a restart off of our left side. (Aaron) played the ball across the face of the 18 and (Davis) came in and struck a well-driven ball off of Heidi's hands over the line.
“With the game 1-1 at the half, I felt it wasn't a very good or characteristic half for us. We were consistently trying to force the ball up the center of field against them. In the beginning of the second half, we shifted to three forwards to put more pressure up top. It took a while, but we were finally able to get some opportunities. Finally, Olivia got in from our right side and struck a very nice ball in behind the goalkeeper to go up 2-1.
“At that point, we were looking at 20 minutes left, and I felt like we were playing well enough to manage rest of the game. Presbyterian, however, got a corner kick and after very poor marking on our part, they got in and scored off that corner to make it 2-2. The game was back-and-forth in the last few minutes of regulation and into overtime. They came down after a foul at midfield and played a ball in. After another pass, there was a bad miscommunication on our part, and what I saw was actually an own goal, we'll have to go back and look at the tape of it.”
