Box Score
MEADVILLE, Pa. – In the 79th minute on Tuesday, Allegheny's Abby Silvester broke a scoreless tie against NCAC unbeaten Wooster to the elation of a strong home crowd. The joyous vibe was short-lived as Erika Kay netted her first goal of the season in the 83rd minute to rally the Fighting Scots to a 1-1 tie at Robertson Field.
Silvester triggered what appeared to be the game-winning goal when she ripped a free kick into the back of the Wooster (10-5-1, 4-0-1 NCAC) net from 30 yards out on the right. It was her team-leading fifth goal of the year, which also provided a sigh of relief for the home faithful as the Gators' (12-0-3, 3-0-2) allowed the Fighting Scots to dictate the action throughout much of the tilt.
Instead of wilting to defeat, Wooster continued to play it long and was eventually rewarded with the equalizer. A missed opportunity to clear the ball from the back combined with the midfield's failure to slide back into the mix created a confusing scene several yards in front of the Allegheny goal. Although several defenders attempted to clear the ball from danger, an unmarked Kay came up with the rebound off the failed clear. Taking a shot from two yards out, Kay's shot from the left side snuck inside the far post.
In the 93rd minute, sophomore Ashley Lehr nearly produced the golden goal for the Gators although her attempt was stopped with a terrific save by Wooster keeper Michele Ring. Midway through the second overtime, Kay blasted a hard shot on Emily Karr from the right side, although Allegheny's junior net minder smothered the shot.
“We didn't possess the ball very well today, and we paid for it,” noted head coach Mike Webber. “We let Wooster take us out of what we wanted to do, which is unfortunate because we spent a lot of practice time talking about it.”
The Fighting Scots played the ball long as often as they could, and their attacking style kept Allegheny's back line and midfield off balance. Allegheny outshot Wooster, 16-8, including 5-2 in the extra session, but few of the chances for either team were dangerous. Ring made seven saves, including one in the 110th minute off a shot by sophomore Dayna Rowe, en route to the tie.
Karr kept Allegheny among the ranks of the unbeaten, although the keeper's unblemished goals against average was snapped. Karr had kept the opposition off the board for 1,093 consecutive minutes, the eighth-longest streak in the history of the NCAA, before yielding the late goal on Wednesday. She finished the game with six saves.
