USC Upstate Edges Women's Soccer in Second Overtime, 1-0
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Presbyterian College women’s soccer team outshot the USC Upstate Spartans and battled in Sunday’s match to the second overtime, but a Spartan goal in the 104th minute sent the Blue Hose home with a narrow 1-0 loss.
PC moves to 0-7-0 on the season while USC Upstate improves to 2-7-0.
Upstate’s Rebecca Sanzsole ended the match with a long shot, launching a high chance from 35 yards away. PC goalkeeper Jordan Broadway (Chapin, S.C.) leapt and got a hand on the ball, but the shot snuck under the crossbar and in.
The Blue Hose outshot the Spartans, 20 to 17, and took six corner kicks to the Spartans’ three. The loss marks PC’s second in double overtime this season and the third overtime loss overall.
Catie Smith (Greenville, S.C.) led the squad with four shots on goal. Broadway made eight saves, stopping at least one shot in every period. The defense showed a strong effort as well and the back line of Alice Blackwell (Marietta, Ga.), Hannah Gaither (Statesville, N.C.), Brittany Whitson (Conyers, Ga.) and Sophie Cobb (Columbia, S.C.) all played every minute of the contest.
Tori Lopez (Snellville, Ga.) created a chance two minutes after the opening whistle, pushing past the Upstate back line and launching a shot from in close that goalkeeper Ellen Bright kept out.
Bright also stopped what looked like a sure goal from Smith in the 40th minute. The PC sophomore took a feed from Rebecca Miller (Pauline, S.C.) and charged into the box, but Bright challenged to make a point-blank save and keep the match scoreless.
PC took a 7-6 shooting edge into halftime, as well as a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Blue Hose continued to set the pace in the second half, outshooting the home side by a 10-7 margin.
PC came within inches of taking the lead in the 72nd minute, on another opportunity from Smith. A loose ball went over the head of the Upstate goalkeeper and Smith paused to corral it several feet from the empty net, and the pause allowed an Upstate defender time to move and block the shot.
The game stayed without a goal thanks to the save of the game from Broadway. A few minutes after Smith’s near-score, Kenzie Major ripped a laser from outside the box that Broadway pushed away with a diving save to her left.
The two sides played an even first overtime before Upstate struck in the second. Miller took a shot that nearly went in in the 99th minute, but Bright punched the chance over the net.
PC heads to Virginia this week to begin Big South Conference play with a 7 p.m. tilt at Liberty on Thursday.
