1-10-4, 1-2-1
UC Irvine
7-5-1, 3-0-0
Late Golden Goal Lifts UC Irvine to 2-1 Double-OT Win Over Cal Poly
10/7/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. — Only 28 seconds away from a draw following two overtimes Sunday, UC Irvine's Shelby Lee tallied a golden goal, giving the Anteater women's soccer team a 2-1 victory in the 110th minute against visiting Cal Poly.
More than nine-and-a-half minutes into the latter overtime, with a potential tie fast-approaching, UC Irvine goalkeeper Maddie Newsom lined up a free kick from almost 45 yards away, a few strides past the center circle.
Newsom found Lee deep inside the box, marked by a handful of Mustang defenders. Her lob was initially headed back by the defense, but it ricocheted off Lee mid-air, proceeding to bounce a few yards on one hop, settling inside the right post to suddenly end the game in dramatic fashion.
The sequence secured all 3 points in the standings for the defending regular-season conference champion Anteaters (7-5-1 overall, 3-0-0 Big West), now in sole possession of first place with 9 points.
UC Irvine also scored its first goal on a header, as Claire Grouwinkel finished a corner lofted in by Reema Bzeih (redirected across the box by Aleah Kelley), providing a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute. It was the team-high sixth goal of the year for Grouwinkel.
Cal Poly (1-10-4 overall, 1-2-1 Big West; 4 points) would equalize just five minutes later, however, as the Mustangs won a penalty due to a UCI handball inside the box. Freshman Megan Hansen stepped to the spot and converted her opportunity (61'), bringing Cal Poly level 29 minutes until regulation full-time.
Senna Brennan placed a shot on goal in the 11th minute, but Newsom came up with the save. Brennan also aimed a second-half attempt on target (81'), but she was again denied by Newsom.
Junior goalkeeper Sophia Brown made six saves for Cal Poly, including a diving stop on a half-volley try by Lee upon 24', as well as a grab of a Grouwinkel header 25 seconds away from the end of the first OT. Including her 13-save performance in the scoreless draw at UC Riverside on Friday evening, Brown brought her career total of saves to 255 this weekend (moving to No. 3 in school history).
The Mustangs will stay on the road next week, traveling to face Long Beach State (6-4-2, 1-0-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Allen Field.
Team Stats
Grouwinkel, Claire (6)
Assisted By: Kelley, Aleah , Bzeih, Reema
corner far post, 25 heads across, 11 hea
55:22
Hansen, Megan (1)
Cal Poly Hansen, Megan PENALTY KICK GOAL, goal number 1 for season.
60:09
Lee, Shelby (2)
Assisted By: Newsom, Maddie
free kick 50 yards, flicked by 21 inside
109:32
