Women’s Soccer Edged in Double-OT by Wheaton in ECAC Tournament
NORTON, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene women's soccer team suffered a 3-2 double-overtime loss at Wheaton in the opening round of the ECAC Tournament Wednesday.
The sixth-seeded Lions wrap up the 2013 campaign with an 11-8-1 overall record. The third-seeded Lyons improved to 15-6-2 on the year and advance to the semifinals to take on the winner of No. 2 Brandeis and No. 7 Castleton State.
The home side got on the board in the 23rd minute as Cat Amick tallied her first goal of the season to give Wheaton a 1-0 lead. Alexa Sanchez and Tess Weyburne picked up assists on the Lyons' first score.
Wheaton added a goal in the 29th minute to push its advantage to 2-0. Amick slotted her second marker of the game into the back of the net after Julia Cipriano delivered a through ball down the center of the field.
The Lyons held a 13-6 edge in shots at halftime while earning the lone corner kick of the frame.
Eastern Nazarene sliced the deficit in half, 2-1, in the 62nd minute on an unassisted score by Jules Speno (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.). Speno found the left corner of the cage with a shot from the right side of the pitch to collect her 12th of the season.
The Lions netted the equalizer in the 69th minute as Speno buried her second of the match and 13th of the year. Katherine Lawrence (Marlborough, Conn.) set up Speno at the top of the penalty area for a left-footed blast. Speno's attempt deflected off of a defender and tucked into the back of the net.
Wheaton recorded 17 shots in the second half while Eastern Nazarene produced nine. The hosts owned a 3-1 margin in corner kicks earned through 90 minutes of action.
Neither team was able to pot a game-winner in the first overtime session. The Lyons outshot the visitors 4-1 in the first extra period.
Wheaton scored the golden goal in the 104th minute of the contest to claim a 3-2 victory. Kristina Braga sailed a long-ranged shot into the left side of the goal from the right wing. Laila Razzaghi registered an assist on Braga's 10th of the fall.
The home team concluded the contest with a 35-17 gap in shots and a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks awarded.
Junior Savannah Sivert (Laytonsville, Md.) stopped eight shots on the afternoon in goal for Eastern Nazarene, including numerous key saves in the waning minutes of regulation and in overtime. Ali Hinton turned aside four shots between the pipes for the Lyons on the day.