University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Drop 2-1 Overtime Battle
10/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
A battle of two top-25 teams ended unfavorably for the Minnesota women's soccer team on Sunday as the No. 15 Gophers fell to No. 24 Ohio State 2-1 in overtime. The loss marks the first time this season that Minnesota has dropped back-to-back games and hinders the Gophers' chances of catching the front-running Buckeyes for the Big Ten title.
A momentum swing was evident throughout Sunday's second half following a balanced first half that saw the Gophers outshoot Ohio State 6-4 although neither team could manage to slip in a goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Cat Parkhill saw plenty of action in the first half, making three of her four saves in the game's first 45 minutes.
After the scoreless first half, junior forward Tamara Strahota set the tone for Minnesota in the second stanza when she collected a loose ball in the six-yard box and knocked in her fourth goal of the season just over ten minutes into the second half. The goal, which occurred at the 56:39 mark and was assisted by senior midfielder Molly Rouse, snapped a six-game scoreless drought for the junior who recently returned to the forward position after spending much of the season on the Gophers' back line.
Minnesota (10-4-2 overall, 2-3-1 Big Ten) controlled the tempo early in Sunday's second half, but Ohio State (12-2-1, 6-0-0) eventually would get on the board when Paige Maxwell, Ohio State's leading scorer, picked up a loose ball in the 18-yard box and scored in the 82nd minute for her eighth goal of the season. Liz Sullivan assisted on the goal, which overhauled the tempo for the remainder of the game in favor of the streaking Buckeyes. While Ohio State controlled the momentum for just the final nine minutes of regulation, the team carried that momentum into the brief overtime period.
Maxwell's late goal forced Minnesota into its third overtime of the season, where the Gophers were 0-0-2 heading into Sunday's game. But Buckeyes forward Lauren Granberg wouldn't make the extra period last long as she slipped a low shot under Minnesota goalkeeper Cat Parkhill and towards the far post just 0:43 into the game's first overtime period to give Ohio State the 2-1 win and keep the Buckeyes undefeated in Big Ten play.
Both teams tallied 10 shots in the contest while Minnesota held an 8-5 advantage on corners but was also called for more fouls (11-8). Strahota paced the Gophers with four shots in the game with Rouse and senior midfielder Shari Eckstrom each recording a pair of shots. Maxwell, Granberg and Lauren Beachy each had two shots for the Buckeyes.
Minnesota returns to action next weekend with a home series against Michigan and Michigan State. The Gophers matchup against the Spartans on Sunday will be broadcast by the Big Ten Network.
