Huskies Rally for Double OT Win over Saginaw Valley State
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | OT2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saginaw Valley State (4-2-0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
Michigan Tech (3-3-0) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech soccer team battled back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Saginaw Valley State 2-1 in double overtime Sunday afternoon at Sherman Field. Senior defender Taylor Archibald notched the game winning kick in the first minute of the second overtime frame.
"It was a nice win and our players really had to fight hard because Saginaw Valley State is a really good team," Head Coach Michelle Jacob said. "They put us under a lot of pressure and I was really proud that we got better and better as the game went on.
"We were able to keep the pressure on and cut their passes off along with working a lot tighter as the game progressed. That created some problems for them which gave us the opportunities to attack off of turnovers. Our team is playing with a lot of heart right now and working hard for each other. I'm real proud of all their efforts today."
Saginaw Valley State (4-2-0) came to Houghton Sunday after scoring three goals in a 3-2 win at Northern Michigan Friday afternoon. The Cardinals looked to keep the offensive momentum rolling when they struck for the first goal of the match in the 20th minute. Valentina Giambanco found the back of the net for the fourth time this season after Molly Vanderhoff pushed the ball up the field on a pass to setup the shot.
A few minutes later, senior goalie Kirsen Hudak kept the Huskies within striking distance on what would be one of the biggest plays of the game. The Cardinals Lindsey Stroebel lined up for a penalty kick following a Tech foul in the box. Hudak proceed to deflect the strike out away from the goal to keep it a 1-0 score with just under 15 minutes to play until the break.
Michigan Tech (3-3-0) kept the heat on Saginaw Valley State and eventually it paid off with the equalizer in the 75th minute. Archibald sent a crossing pass in towards the goal which was slightly deflected by a defender. Junior forward Marisa DeMario was right there near the net and able to tap it in past the keeper to knot the score at 1-1.
Tech's defense continued to shut down the Cardinals attack for the remainder of the second half all the way through overtime. Meanwhile, the SVSU defense was tough as well, keeping the Huskies off the board until that first minute of the second extra period. Freshman forward Emily Zeitunian came within inches of ending the match in the first overtime, if not for a team save by SVSU after goalie Isabel Bauer was pulled away from the net.
However, it didn't take long for the Huskies to deliver the game winning shot in the opening moments of the second overtime. Zeitunian picked up a loose ball and threaded a precision pass up the right side of the field to Archibald who had a window to take a long shot attempt. With the goalie out a bit from the net, Archibald lofted the ball in the air and over the head of the keeper into the top shelf for the goal, giving the Huskies the 2-1 victory.
Archibald led the Huskies offense with her first goal and assist of the season while also pacing the team with three shot attempts. DeMario also picked up her first goal of 2017 with her only shot attempt on the afternoon. As a team, Tech attempted 13 shots with six being on goal.
Hudak played 100:47 minutes in goal and made six saves on the way to her second win this season.
Giambanco powered the Cardinals with their only goal and took four total shot attempts Sunday afternoon. Saginaw Valley State had 15 total shot attempts as a team and held a 6-3 edge in corner kicks. Bauer made three saves and also played all 100:47 in front of the net.
The Huskies will be back in action Friday when they head to Davenport University for their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener. The kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
