Sept. 7, 2014 Final Stats
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Villanova women's soccer team concluded their weekend with at 1-1 double overtime draw at Lehigh on Sunday afternoon. Much like their Friday contest against Pittsburgh, the scoring came in a short burst with both teams notching goals in just over six minutes of action in the first half. With the tie, Villanova moves to 1-3-1 on the season while the Mountain Hawks are 2-0-1.
In one of the most physical games of the season, a total of 19 fouls were called during the match as both teams battled on the pitch. The Mountain Hawks registered the first goal of the game at the 13:28 mark when Darby Wiegand scored off a Danielle Salans assist with a shot to the left corner of the net from six yards out.
For the second time in two games, the Wildcats came from behind and answered just over six minutes later at the 19:52 mark when junior Renee Hart (Bethesda, Md.) found an open Katie Martin (Dallas, Texas) at the top of the 18 and sent the ball into the high right of the net to tie the game at 1-1. The score would hold at 1-1 going into intermission.
At the start of the second stanza, The Wildcats found renewed energy and went on to outshoot Lehigh by a 7-6 margin and held a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks for the half. Martin opened the second period with two quick shots to goal that were blocked and sent wide while senior Victoria Gersh (Silver Spring, Md.) also had a shot on net that forced Lehigh goalkeeper Ashley Banks to make a save in the 52nd minute.
As time began to wind down in regulation, freshman Jessica Moskal (Holmdel, N.J.) took the last available opportunity with a shot on goal in the 89th minute, but Lehigh's Blanks made her third save of the half with the stop as both teams prepared for their first overtime game of the 2014 season.
Neither team was able to breakthrough in extra time despite having opportunities. Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Meyer (Massapequa, N.Y.) tallied a save in the 98th minute to keep the Wildcats in the game and forced a second overtime. Despite another 10 minute of action and a shot by Martin that was saved by Blanks, the contest would end in a 1-1 draw.
Martin led the Wildcats with six shots for the afternoon and placed two on goal while Gersh also tallied three shots and placed two on net. Defensively, freshman goalkeeper Emily Harris (Derry, N.H.) registered the first start of her career and recorded one save in 45 minutes of action while junior Emma Meyer started the second half and played 65 minutes and was credited with six saves.
Villanova will be back in action when they return to Higgins Soccer Complex on Friday, September 12th when they host James Madison. Game time is slated for 4 p.m.
