VIDEO: Women's soccer falls, 3-2, In Overtime Against ECU

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Falls, 3-2, In Overtime Against ECU

DALLAS (SMU) – SMU fell in an overtime heartbreaker, 3-2, to ECU in its home opener on Sunday at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.

The Pirates (2-3-2, 2-1-2 AAC) held a 7-5 shot advantage over the Mustangs (1-1-0, 1-1-0 AAC) during the first half of play, but Samantha Estrada made five saves to keep ECU off the board. Both teams entered the break scoreless.

All five goals were scored in the second half of play, starting in the 62nd minute when ECU's Carsen Parker converted a penalty kick for a 1-0 lead.

Jewel Boland responded quickly for the Mustangs in the 65th minute when she scored her third goal of the season and had the first shot on goal of the game for SMU. Her shot from outside of the box sailed over ECU keeper Maeve English to tie the game at one.

After an aggressive twenty minutes, SMU took a 2-1 lead when ECU scored an own goal after the Mustangs took a corner kick. In a flurry around the goal, the ball deflected off a Pirate to add one for SMU.

ECU scored the equalizer in the 88th minute when Parker made a pass to Tori Riggs and tied the game at two. Wayny Balata made a shot in the final minute that went just wide of the goal, but neither team could find the back of the net in the final 12 minutes as we took a 2-2 tie into overtime.

The Mustangs made a run toward the goal to start the overtime period, but were pushed back by the Pirate defense. ECU scored the game-winner just over three minutes into overtime when Parker tallied her second goal of the game.

SMU finished with 13 shots, including five from Boland, two of which were on goal, and three from Leah Chancey.

Samantha Estrada finished with eight saves on the day and was assisted by the Mustang defense highlighted by Abby Dermott, Payton Doiron and Brooke Golik, who all played all 94 minutes.

The Mustangs are back in action on Thursday, March 25 at 6 p.m. CT as they take on USF at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

[PonyPride]

Petrucelli is professional and diplomatic in his assertion that he couldn't tell whether ECU's tying goal was scored by a player who was offside. But I'll say it: it was clear from field level, and when watching the replay, it wasn't even close. Even the ECU coach looked like he knew his player was offside.

No, that's not the only reason SMU lost. But given all of the other circumstances that made up a fairly even game, that play absolutely should not have given ECU the equalizer.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

It's a shame when an offside is that obvious!

[PonyPride]

It wasn't close