University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Georgia
Gophers Unlucky in Overtime Loss to Georgia
9/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 2, 2011
The University of Minnesota women's soccer team displayed a stifling offensive attack Friday night at the Minnesota Gold Classic, but the University of Georgia kept the Gophers at bay and came out on top in a 2-1 overtime thriller at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
After the Golden Gophers (2-3-0) dominated most of Friday's match, it took just over one minute into overtime for the Bulldogs (2-2-0) to generate a surge that the Gopher defense couldn't halt. In the 92nd minute, Jenna Owens received the ball on the left side of the box and quickly serviced it into Alexa Newfield, who headed home the game-winning goal past a diving Cat Parkhill.
The Maroon and Gold's control of the match started early in the first half when redshirt junior Steph Brandt crossed a ball into the box from the left side. Nicole Baier then swooped in to head what looked to be an early score for the Gophers, but Baier was denied by Georgia's goalkeeper Ashley Baker, who made an incredible diving save to keep the match scoreless in the 10th minute.
Minnesota would continue to penetrate the Bulldogs' backline for the remainder of the first half, but the squad, as well as Georgia, couldn't notch a goal to claim the lead before heading into the locker room. The Golden Gophers carried a 9-2 shot advantage into halftime with four shots on goal to Georgia's two.
At the beginning of the second half, the Maroon and Gold had an early scare when Newfield launched a ball from 22 yards out and connected with the crossbar of the goal. With other Bulldogs' crashing the box for the rebound, Parkhill swiftly corralled the ball and booted it to negate the offensive threat in the 48th minute.
Minnesota quickly turned the tables when freshman Taylor Uhl slipped through the Red and Black's defense in the 50th minute for a one-on-one matchup with Baker. The Gophers' leading scorer on the season looked ready to tally another goal for the year, but Uhl pushed the ball too far in front of herself which generate a foot race for the ball against Baker. With Baker diving out to grasp the ball, Uhl was unable to get a clean shot off, so her shot went wide right of the goal by a few feet.
Ten minutes later, the Maroon and Gold spawned a trio of opportunities off a Baier corner kick. The junior-transfer's service into the box was met on the backside of the goal by an Allie Phillips' header that ricocheted off the crossbar. The ball trickled back to the top of the six-yard box where Shari Eckstrom was waiting. The senior captain rapidly cocked her leg back and drilled a ball to the left side of the goal, but Baker dove to her right side and denied the Gopher goal. After the ball got juggled around in the congestion of players, it dropped in front of senior Josie Solie who soared the ball over the top of the goal.
Minnesota earned a total of 12 corners on the night while the Bulldogs only acquired three, which all came in the second half.
The score remained nil-nil until Meghan Gibbons from Georgia sped past the Gopher defense for a one-on-one chance with Parkhill. The redshirt-junior goalkeeper came out of goal and with a sliding approach, swatted Gibbons' attempt into the ground, but the sophomore Bulldog would rebound her initial attempt and push in the first goal of the match in the 77th minute.
With time running out and their backs against the wall, Minnesota kept calm and continued to do what they had done all game, overwhelm Georgia with an array of shots.
In the 83rd minute, it look as Uhl was going to be the hero once again as she had a threatening header on caught by Baker, but it was Eckstrom, the senior from Brooklyn Park, Minn., who saved the day by flicking an Olivia Bagnall service across the goal line in the 84th minute to knot the scores at 1-1.
Minnesota and Georgia would hold one another to keep the score tied at the end of regulation, but it only took 1 minute, 17 seconds until Newfield and the Bulldogs found a hole in the Gophers' defense to score the Golden Goal that neglected the Maroon and Gold from remaining undefeated this season at The Robbie.
The Golden Gophers finished the match with a distinct advantage in shots as they rifled off 24 to Georgia's 10. Each team tallied eight shots on goal.
Parkhill allowed both Bulldog goals and finished the night with six saves while Baker garnered the match victory by saving seven balls and allowing only the one Gopher goal.
Minnesota jumps back into action on Sunday as it faces No. 20 UW-Milwaukee in the final match of the Minnesota Gold Classic. The Panthers (5-0-0) are coming off an impressive 2-0 triumph over Iowa State which took place earlier today at ELR Stadium. The clash between the Gophers and UWM begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
