INDIANAPOLIS – The match to take over sole possession of first place in the Crossroads League certainly lived up to its billing Tuesday night as the No. 7 ranked Spring Arbor University women's soccer team escaped with a 2-1 double overtime victory at Marian University.
Ninety minutes were not enough to decide a winner between the two sides that entered the night tied atop the standings with identical 5-0 records in the Crossroads League, but a goal from freshman Bethany Balcer in the 105th minute kept SAU spotless in conference play.
The win was the eighth straight for the Cougars, who improved to 12-2-1 overall. The Knights saw their six match winning streak come to an end as they dropped to 11-4-0 on the season.
"Marian is a very good team who has improved rapidly," commented head coach Jason Crist. "They are athletic, fast and well coached. They did a good job of congesting areas on the field and making it hard for us to play. With that being said, our players did a nice job changing tactics mid-stream and taking what the game was giving them tonight. We had two nice finishes and put ourselves in position to score several more, but struggled to convert. We had to work hard for this result and showed our resolve as a unit."
The Cougars pounced on the Knights right away scoring in the 11th minute. Junior Corrie Good got in behind the MU defense and slotted a shot past the keeper for the breakaway goal.
Spring Arbor would take its 1-0 advantage into halftime, but the lead would not last much longer. Just over 12 minutes into the second stanza, Marian would find the equalizer when Kellie Cavanaugh struck from 15 yards out. Despite outshooting the home team 15-6 in the second half, the Cougars were unable to break the deadlock before the end of regulation.
In the extra periods, SAU continued to apply the pressure recording nine shots while holding Marian to zero. The Cougars' efforts were finally rewarded in the 105th minute when sophomore Sarah Klunder crossed a free kick into the box and Balcer headed it past the netminder to secure the win.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Yancer made a season-high seven saves against one of the league's top offensive teams. The Cougars finished the night with 33 shots compared to the Knights' 12 while also holding a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
"I believe that our group is on a great path and they have a strong belief in each other and the team," added Crist. "They are a blast to coach, and we are looking forward to an exciting end of the conference season and tournament."
Up next, Spring Arbor will travel Upland, Indiana to face off against Taylor University on Saturday, Oct. 17 beginning at 7 p.m.
Women's Soccer Contact: Chris Bauman | 517-750-6504 | christopher.bauman@arbor.edu
SAU Athletics: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Women's Soccer: Twitter | Facebook
