By Justin Grones
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY,
Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The
Green Bay women's soccer team (4-8-1, 1-2-1 HL) got back on the winning track in
exciting fashion after a 2-1 overtime win over visiting Youngstown State on a
cold and windy day at Aldo Santaga Stadium. After a tough 0-3-2 streak, the
Phoenix was able to pick up the overtime win and improve to 10-2-1 all-time
against Youngstown State.
"This team really deserves this win, we've come so
close so many times this year, so it was nice to get the win," head coach Trevor Warren said.
Green Bay didn't waste any time getting on the board,
as senior Megan Braatz (Waukesha,
Wis.) found sophomore Hannah Kernen
(Belleville, Wis.) through the Penguins' defense in the sixth minute. Kernan posted
her third goal of the year by going far post from 10 yards out on the right
side.
"It felt great to get that early goal, but we knew we
couldn't let ourselves give up late goals like we have been the past few
games," Kernen said.
The Phoenix nearly added a second goal when Chanel Aries (Calgary, Alberta) took a
shot from five yards out just minutes later. Youngstown State goalkeeper Jackie
Podolsky was able to make the save, keeping the game at 1-0.
In the 40th minute, the Penguins' Jade Flory weaved
through the Green Bay defense for an unassisted goal, tying the game at 1-1. Flory
went far post from 18 yards out, just past the outstretched arms of Green Bay
goalkeeper Katy Pilarzyk (Madison,
Wis.) into the upper corner of the net.
Both teams entered the second half looking for the
go-ahead goal, with both sides getting a share of opportunities. Junior Hekla Palmadottir (Akranes, Iceland)
opened the second half with a great shot that sailed just over the crossbar.
Youngstown State's Katie Hohmann responded six minutes later by firing a shot
from 20 yards out on the far side that just missed the far post. The Penguins
nearly scored again off a rip from Rachel Morrison with 11 minutes to play, but
the shot missed just wide.
Still tied at the end of regulation, Green Bay headed
to its second overtime contest of the week, the first coming in a 1-0
double-overtime loss at Cleveland State Oct. 3. Despite being outshot 13-7 in
regulation, Green Bay controlled the tempo from the start of the overtime period,
keeping the ball on Youngstown State's end of the field. A corner kick in the
97th minute from Chandra Eigenberger
(Green Bay, Wis.) sealed the Penguins' fate, as she found Jenna Harrington (Madison, Wis.) for her first goal of the season. Eigenberger's
kick sailed through Youngstown State's defense to the far side to Harrington,
who ripped a violent header into the back of the net to end the game.
"Nobody was marking me, so as soon as the kick came in
I knew I had to get a head on it. After the last few games we really deserved
this win, and it's really great that I was able to do this for my team,"
Harrington said.
Green Bay played without two of its key players in the
contest including freshman standout Sydney
Born (Edina, Minn.) who was scratched from the starting lineup due to
illness. Junior Renee Therrien
(Winnipeg, Manitoba) left the game early on after receiving a broken nose on a
collision following a throw-in.
The Phoenix will have the day off tomorrow, and return
to action at Santaga Stadium Monday, Oct. 8 for a nonconference battle with
in-state rival Wisconsin. Kickoff against the Badgers will be at 7 p.m.
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