The Spring Arbor University women's soccer team battled through 100 degree temperatures and a spirited crowd to earn a 2-2 double overtime draw against the defending national champion and NAIA #1 ranked Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders on Friday night in Columbia, Kentucky.
After an unveiling of Lindsey Wilson's 2006 national title banner just before the match, it was SAU who applied the pressure and drew first blood when Crissie Strohmaier found a streaking Katie Sayler (right) in the 17th minute. The NAIA region 8 player of the year in 2006, Sayler picked up right where she left off, drawing the LWC goalkeeper to the right before firing a ball by her from about 16 yards out for the game's opening tally.
Seven minutes later Sayler was at it again when she took a surgical pass from central midfielder Jamie Siedzik and slotted the ball under the diving LWC keeper for a 2-0 SAU cushion mid way through the first half.
The lead held up through the break, but the high powered Lindsey Wilson offense roared to life midway through the second stanza as Yolanda Hamilton toe poked a ball past freshman Cougar keeper Christina Riske to get the hosts on the board.
Seven minutes later the Blue Raiders evened the match as Riske made a diving save on a low shot, but the rebound hit her shoulder and bounded into the net for the equalizer.
Neither team able to solve the other's defense, the game went scoreless through two overtimes and ended as a 2-2 draw.
"We played hard tonight," commented SAU head coach Jason Crist. "Lindsey Wilson has an amazing and rich tradition in women's soccer. I was proud that our group was able to put them on their heels in the first half, and even more proud that we gritted it out when they came at us hard in the second. Obviously Katie was solid again, but I felt we gave a great team effort and our midfielders and backs were a huge part of the outcome. I was also very pleased with our play in the goal."
Spring Arbor held a 7-5 bulge in shots at halftime but came out on the bottom end of a 11-19 margin for the game. SAU generated four corner kicks in the match and Lindsey Wilson was credited with three.
