Lund, Miami Spoil Ohio’s Senior Day with Double-Overtime Win

ATHENS, Ohio – Junior forward Sara Lund (Malmo, Sweden) headed in the game-winning goal with less than three minutes remaining in the second overtime to send the Miami University soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the Ohio Bobcats, Sunday afternoon at chilly Chessa Field on Ohio’s Senior Day. The victory marked the RedHawks’ (8-6-1, 4-3-1 Mid-American Conference) first victory in overtime in 14 tries with their last extra-period win coming on Aug. 25, 2006 against Morehead State (2-1 in double overtime).

The win snapped a two-game skid versus the Bobcats (7-6-2, 4-2-2 MAC) and ended the Bobcats’ six-game unbeaten streak. It was Miami’s first win in Athens since 2005 and evened the all-time series in the heated rivalry at 8-8.

The Bobcats controlled play early but were unable to get any shots off. Ohio earned a corner a little over five minutes into the match and took the first shot in the 12th minute but it sailed high. After escaping a turnover in its own end, senior Allison Berkey (Hopkinton, Mass.) found space on the right flank and ripped Miami’s first shot of the afternoon in the 21st minute, however it sailed over the goal, as well.

Ohio’s Kelsey Pichel placed a shot on goal from the top of the box midway through the half, but it didn’t trouble senior keeper Krista Pace (Toronto, Ont.). The Bobcats continued to put pressure on the RedHawk defense over the next several minutes but Miami’s back four held strong. Senior Jodi Zwingelberg (Elgin, Ill.) fired a pair of shots off a corner kick with fewer than 10 minutes to play in the half, however one was blocked and Ohio keeper Jess MacLean saved the other.

The Bobcats had a flurry of attempts in the final minute, including a breakaway by Rachael Goulding, but Miami’s defense blocked the shots and Pace made a strong save on the breakaway to send the game into the half knotted at zero. Ohio out-shot the ’Hawks, 5-4, in the first 45 minutes, while each side garnered a corner. Both keepers had a pair of stops in the period, as well.

Both sides had chances over the first half of the second stanza but neither could capitalize. Sophomore Krysti Clarke (Scarborough, Ont.) had a point-blank shot with just over 20 minutes to play in regulation from right outside the six-yard box, however MacLean was there to make the sprawling stop. The ’Cats earned a pair of corners under the 15-minute mark with the second one resulting in a header that was just over the crossbar.

Zwingelberg blasted a shot inside the penalty box with less than 45 seconds remaining in regulation but it sailed wide right sending the match into overtime in a scoreless tie, Miami’s third overtime game of the season. Ohio worked the ball inside the box early in the first extra period but was unable to turn and shoot. A free kick from Pichel was rocketed on goal for the Bobcats minutes later, however Pace made the stop. Pace again turned the ’Cats away with under four minutes to play, forcing a second overtime.

With 7:30 to play in the second extra frame, Ohio earned a free kick just outside the box that rattled around in front of the cage and Pace was able to tip over the crossbar, extending the game. The Bobcats had another shot on goal that was denied by Pace, leading to a breakout for Miami. The RedHawks earned a free kick on the left flank that was taken by Berkey and sent into box, which Lund was able to get her head and redirect inside the left post past MacLean for the game-winner with just 2:50 remaining in the second overtime. The goal was Lund’s team-leading fifth of the season while Berkey tallied her second assist of the campaign.

“I’m so proud of our kids. They just battled and hung with it,” Miami head coach Bobby Kramig said. “Ohio had the wind in the first overtime, so we thought if we could survive the first one we might be able to do something in the second overtime and that’s how it worked out. Our kids deserve tons of credit for how they played. It could have gone either way, but we hung tough and took three points on the road, which is huge.”

For the match, Ohio took 12 shots to Miami’s 11, including a 5-1 advantage in the overtimes for the ’Cats, with the RedHawks’ only shot in the extra periods being the game winner. Ohio earned five corners in the extra 20 minutes for a 9-2 edge in corners for the contest. Zwingelberg finished with five shots for Miami, while Lund took three.

Pace made three saves in overtime to finish with six in the match for her fifth shutout of the season. MacLean ended with five stops on the day.

With regular-season road play concluded, the RedHawks return home to round out their regular season with three home games, starting Friday, Oct. 23, against Western Michigan. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at Miami Soccer Field.