BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In the dying moments, the University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team clawed for the game winner with just 52 seconds remaining in the second period of overtime, defeating Lehigh on the road 1-0 on Monday night.
The winner came from none other than Emily Sands, who buried her sixth deciding goal of the season, tied for the second most in the country.
NOTES
*The shutout was Penn's ninth of the season in just 11 outings.
*The Red and Blue have now gone 559:25 without conceding a goal, keeping a clean sheet for the last six games.
*The Quakers are undefeated in the last eight games.
*Emily Sands now has six goals, all match winners.
*The 9-1-1 start is the best 11 game start in program history.
*Penn is 9-0 when scoring first.
*The Quakers are 5-0 away from home and 4-0 in true road games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn created the first chance in the ninth minute, stemming from a dangerous run by senior Sasha Stephens down the right wing. Her attacking movement resulted in a corner. Much like the free kick that provided the game winner on Friday against Columbia, Stephens' ball found Allie Trzaska, but her shot was saved off the line by the Mountain Hawk keeper. A rebound and subsequent scrum ensued, where Trzaska got another shot off and then Breukelen Woodard unleashed another one, but both were blocked by a mess of bodies in front.
In the 20th minute, Emily Sands, fresh off of earning Ivy League Player of the Week, wiggled free at the top of the box and created enough space to uncork a left-footed shot towards the far post, but it pulled just wide.
A few minutes later, Trzaska worked her way to the end line and cut a ball back across the face of goal, but it didn't connect with a Penn forward.
In the 32nd minute, a chance seemingly came out of nowhere when Stephens just used her pace to blow by a Lehigh defender, but her shot went wide of the far post as well.
At the halftime break, both teams were still scoreless, despite Penn leading 7-0 in shots.
The second half boosted both teams' shooting numbers, but the quality of chances seemed to dwindle. Penn did create some, though, especially in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
In the 83rd minute, Woodard hit a corner that reached Mia Shenk, who sent it goalward, but was saved. Just three minutes later, Woodard received the ball in the middle of the field, spun away from a defender and sent Abbey Duncan tearing down the right sideline. Duncan worked a cross that Shenk was barreling into, but her shot was deflected out for another corner.
Probably the best chance came in the 89th minute on a long free kick from Chase Geffert. Her ball bounced around in the mixer and eventually bounced to Woodard inside the box, but she pounded it over the crossbar.
Woodard was a source of plenty offensive chances in the second half, but Penn couldn't find the winner in regulation.
Towards the end of the first overtime, Sands and Stephens were causing problems for the Mountain Hawk defense, but still it remained scoreless.
Finally, when it looked like the game was destined for a scoreless draw, Sands came through yet again. The ball bounced into the box, Duncan played it forward and the junior tucked it away with just 52 seconds remaining for her sixth game winner of the season, tied for the second most in the country.
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