LEXINGTON, Va. ? Senior midfielder Megan Strand had assists on all three of VMI's goals, including two by freshman Amanda Berrios, as VMI defeated Gardner-Webb in double overtime on Sunday afternoon in Big South Conference women's soccer action at Patchin Field.
The Senior Day win for VMI (9-9-1, 5-3-1 Big South) moves the Keydets into a second-place tie in the Big South regular season standings. VMI, however, loses the tiebreaker against Radford due to a head-to-head loss to the Highlanders earlier this season, and will enter the upcoming conference tournament as the third seed, taking on Winthrop on Thursday at 11 a.m. at High Point. The Bulldogs (4-12-2, 2-5-2 Big South), meanwhile, enter the tournament as the eighth seed and will square off against top-seeded Coastal Carolina.
The triumph marked VMI's first-ever overtime victory in the six years of the program in eight all-time tries. This year, VMI was 0-3-1 in extra-time matches before Sunday's win.
“I'm just ecstatic for us to get this win today and for us to be at 9-9-1 at this point going into the postseason,” said VMI head coach Bryan Williams. “We've given up a couple of games here in a row where we've been pressured late and made mistakes on the back line to lose a one-goal game. But we fought back today and came out with a great win. Our two seniors played great on Senior Day, obviously with Megan notching three assists, and she and Celine did a great job of controlling the middle of the field for us. Now we're looking forward to the tournament and the opportunity for another first. To win at least a game at the conference tournament would seem very appropriate in this season with so many firsts already.”
In a match that saw a VMI season-high of 47 combined shots, including 28 by the Keydets, the visitors jumped on top in the 18th minute. Following a pass by Angie Harvey, Stephanie Benshoof drilled a shot that found the bottom corner of the goal from outside of the 18-yard box for her second tally of the season.
The Keydets knotted the match in the 33rd tick of the clock, when Megan Strand's cross from the right side traveled all the way across the box to the back post, where Sarah Strand converted her second goal of the season. Each of Sarah's two goals this season have been assisted by Megan in the sisters' only season playing together at VMI.
In a foreshadowing of things to come, the Keydets took the lead in the 50th minute when Megan Strand's corner kick found Berrios in the middle of the box, as the freshman headed home her fourth goal of the season.
After holding on to their 2-1 lead over the next 30 minutes despite several GWU opportunities, VMI allowed the equalizer in the 79th minute. Dawn Rollyson found the back of the net from inside the 18-yard box after a long pass from midfield by Chelsea Hearne.
Despite holding a 13-5 advantage in shots in the second half, the Keydets couldn't take the lead in regulation. VMI then accounted for the only three shots of the first overtime period, including a near-miss by junior Chrissy Beach on a direct kick just outside of the box.
In the final period of overtime, the Bulldogs nearly won the game in the third minute of play, but VMI keeper Heidi Beemer made a save on Kasey Gladhill's shot. VMI then drew a corner kick with less than three minutes remaining, setting the stage for a carbon-copy of VMI's last goal, as Megan Strand's service found Berrios in the middle of the box, whose header bounced over the line and into the goal for the victory.
Strand's three-assist match ties her for the most in a single game by a VMI player, while her eight assists on the season and 14 in her career are each the most in school history.
Beemer was credited with five saves in the win, while GWU's Jessica Tuggle made eight saves for the visitors.
The women's soccer team returns to action at 11 a.m. on Thursday morning, taking on sixth-seeded Winthrop at the Vert Track & Soccer Field on campus of High Point. Each match of the Big South Championship will be broadcast online via a live videostream on the Big South Edge at www.BigSouthSports.com.
HEAD COACH BRYAN WILLIAMS- “We definitely want to give Gardner-Webb a lot of credit, they kept the pressure up against us all day, and their ability to serve the long ball in created some issues for us. We didn't do a good job of defending on the back line, I'll be the first to admit that.
“In the first half, I felt like we had the run of play. We were in a lot against them but just couldn't get anything on goal. I thought that we'd eventually find our rhythm, because we were working hard. Their early goal was a bad mistake on our part, where everyone else was covered, but she was unmarked and found the back of the net. We tied it up with a great run by Sarah Strand who found a weakness on their goalkeeper.
“Our second goal was a terrific goal. We worked on corner kicks yesterday, but I certainly didn't think Amanda would have two here today. She's been just over the crossbar on those all year, but she put two in the back of the net today, and had a third attempt that warranted a nice save by their keeper.
Individually, Olivia Moore continued to show why she is a force within the Big South Conference. She created so many opportunities for us today, and she was just all over the field. Alexi Staton did a great job on the back line until she was injured, and obviously Amanda's two goals were huge.”
Keydet Quick Kicks
? Strand's three-assist match is the first time that she has ever had more than one helper in a single game.
? The two goals by Amanda Berrios marks the first two-goal outing of her career.
? VMI extended their school-record wins total to nine, besting the 2005 mark of seven.
? After setting a school record with a 1.81 goals-against-average last year, VMI currently has a 1.27 GAA.
? In their first four seasons in the Big South, VMI finished last in the regular season standings each season before tying for second place in 2008. The Keydets were also voted last (10th) in this season's preseason poll.
? VMI defeated their first-round opponent in this week's Big South Championship, Winthrop, 3-0 last month. In fact, the Keydets have won the last two meetings against the Eagles.
