Women’s Soccer Earns Double OT Win in AMCC Opener
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's soccer team won its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opener in thrilling fashion on Saturday afternoon at Spring Run Stadium, taking down league opponent Alfred State College in double overtime.
Ainsley Griffin (Stafford, VA/Mountain View) scored the game-winning goal for Penn State Altoona (2-5, 1-0 AMCC), the first goal of her collegiate career. Sarah Huston (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) also found the back of the net for the Lions.
Adeline Baustert (Apollo, PA/Apollo-Ridge) started in goal for Penn State Altoona and recorded six saves to pick up her second victory of the season.
Penn State Altoona and Alfred State (4-3, 1-1 AMCC) found themselves in a scoreless tie by the end of a first half that saw both teams come up emptyhanded on several scoring opportunities.
But the Lions were the team to put the game's first goal on the board, grabbing a 1-0 lead early in the second half. Sadie McConnell (New Enterprise, PA/Northern Bedford) found Huston with a centering pass, and Huston tucked a shot inside the right goal posted from the edge of the box at 52:55 to put Penn State Altoona on the scoreboard. Huston's goal was her first of the season.
Penn State Altoona was able to maintain its one-goal lead for nearly 20 minutes, but Alfred State spoiled any thought of a Lions shutout by scoring the game-tying goal at 72:18. Allison Lundmark sent a ball to the right edge of the box, where it was taken by Emily O'Duffy, who floated a shot overtop the keeper to knot the score at 1-1.
The tie score remained by the end of regulation, and the game proceeded to overtime.
In the first overtime period, each team had limited chances. Alfred State got one corner kick and one shot on goal, while Penn State Altoona had two corner kick opportunities. However, neither team was able to come up with the winning goal, and the game moved along to a second overtime.
The scoring opportunities began to pick up in the second overtime period, with Penn State Altoona being the team to capitalize on one and win the game. A ball sent into the box in front of Alfred State's goal was deflected and came to the foot of Katelyn Russell (Pittsburgh, PA/Penn Hills) several yards away from the Pioneers' keeper. With the defense collapsing on her, Russell sent a short pass to her left, where Griffin fired a shot into the back of the net at 106:46 to give the Lions a walk-off victory.
Penn State Altoona's offense produced its best output of the season to date, finishing with season-highs as a team in shots attempted (27), shots on goal (13), and corner kicks (10). The Lions finished the game by outshooting Alfred State 27-15 in shot attempts and 13-7 in shots on goal, and the home team also had 10 corner kicks to the Pioneers' five.
Mallorie Smith (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) led all players in the game with nine shots attempted and five shots on goal. Her nine shot attempts tie for the 10th-most shots attempted in a game in Penn State Altoona women's soccer history.
KK Wolfe (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) took five shots, including one on goal. Huston finished with two shot attempts, both of them being on goal, and Griffin had three shot attempts with one on goal.
Penn State Altoona women's soccer will look to make it two AMCC wins in a row in its next game, when the Lions travel to Hamburg, N.Y. to face conference opponent Hilbert College next Thursday, September 30 at 2:00 p.m. That date is the makeup of a game that was postponed from September 18.
