Zips Earn Well Deserved Result After Comeback Effort in 1-1 2OT Draw

Friday, September 29

Mt. Pleasant, MI

6 pm

University of Akron

1-8-2, 0-2-1MAC

Central Michigan

5-4-2, 0-2-1MAC

OT 1

OT 2

Akron

Central Michigan

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Zips Earn Well Deserved Result After Comeback Effort in 1-1 2OT Draw

September 29 | Women's Soccer

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MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – After trailing for 77 minutes' courtesy of an early CMU goal, the Zips scored in the 85th minute of regulation to force overtime, as the Akron women's soccer team earned a result in its comeback effort against Central Michigan after a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Friday night at the CMU Soccer Complex.

"We showed great character to come from behind and score with 5 mins to go," said head coach Noreen Herlihy. "We kept pushing for the winner in overtime and were brave in getting forward and felt we had them pinned back for large periods. We will now take that momentum into Sunday's game."

Trailing by one goal since the 8' of the first half, the Zips were persistent and would not go away. At the 84:29 mark, Akron knotted up the game at one on Ashley Amato's (Pittsburgh, Pa.) third goal of the year. Erica Schrader (Blacklick, Ohio) lined up in the corner after the ball went across the end-line off the Chippewas. The junior sent a beautiful ball into the box that found Amato for the header and the score.

In 110 minutes of play, the Zips registered nine shots. In the initial 90 minutes of regulation, Akron tallied five shots, while four shots were posted in the 20 minutes of overtime play. Junior Rachel Baughman (Alliance, Ohio) and sophomore Amato led the offensive attack with three shots each. Junior's Shea O'Brien (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and Schrader along with freshman Ally Brown (Batavia, Ohio) garnered one shot apiece, respectively.

In the net, freshman Amani Jiu (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made six saves, including three big saves in the overtime periods. Jiu matched her second-most saves in a match on the year with six.

Central Michigan applied early pressure in its offensive side of the field, which resulted in a goal in the eighth minute of play off a corner kick.

Rachel Baughman had a great chance to knot the game up at one apiece at the 13:36-minute mark. A cross pass into the middle of the box was played perfectly to Baughman. The Zips forward got a head on the ball but it went directly towards the keeper for the save.

The second shot of the night for Baughman came off an impressive run into the box. She received a pass up the field with a defender on her who was able to make a play and force Baughman's shot wide of the net.

Following the halftime break, the Zips came out with an aggressive mentality for the second half of the contest. Schrader took an early shot in the second half but a Chippewa defender stepped in front of the ball to deflect it out of danger.

O'Brien had a good look at the net from the top of the box at the 69:39-minute mark but the shot went over the crossbar and landed on top of the net.

The next shot on goal the Zips would register would change the dynamic of the entire match as Amato found the back of the net to tie up the game.

With just five minutes to play in regulation, Akron tallied a corner kick and CMU recorded a shot, but after the 90 minutes were up, the Zips and Chippewas headed into overtime.

Amato recorded a shot in the 98^th and 99^th minute for the Zips, but each shot was pulled in by the CMU keeper.

Each team got two shots off in the second overtime period to attempt to win the game with one goal, but both the Akron and CMU keeper stood tall, resulting in a final score of 1-1 after 110 minutes.

The Zips continue their road trip in Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 1, when Akron heads east over to Ypsilanti, Mich. for an afternoon tilt Eastern Michigan. First kick between the Zips and Eagles is slated for 1 p.m.