San Antonio – The fifth-ranked Tiger women's soccer team opened Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a 2-1-overtime victory against nearby Schreiner University on Tuesday night.
It was the second straight game that went to an overtime period for Trinity's women. On Friday, September 11, the Tigers ended in a 1-1 draw against the University of Texas-Tyler.
Tonight's game, however, was decided in the first few minutes of the overtime period. The Tigers were awarded a corner kick, and junior Jordan Leeper sent in a curling cross into the box. After the ball jostled around in front of goal, it ended up in the back of the net for the 93rd-minute game-winner.
After a scoreless first half, the Tigers struck first with a penalty kick goal in the second half from senior captain Kimberly Polasek. Trinity was awarded the penalty after Hannah Hommel was fouled contesting a ball in the box.
Both teams traded blows in the first half with neither able to find traction on the scoreboard. The Tigers were able to produce dangerous chances in the closing minutes of the period, but were unable to finish off with scoring plays.
Trinity came out in the second half with much more urgency, looking to press with a lot of early looks at goal. The Tigers produced four shots on goal in first 15 minutes of the second period, after notching only three in the entire first half. Though Trnity turned on the attack in the second half, there was only the one goal to show for it at the end of regulation.
In the 70th minute, the Mountaineers got their first real chance of the half and capitalized with the equalizer. After a risky play by Trinity's defense, Schreiner's Kyli Harvey found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper Kali Douma. Harvey curled a ball in past the outstretched hands of Douma to tie the game.
After the late equalizer, both teams picked up their attack and offensive intensity, looking to earn the win in regulation. There were several scoring chances on both sides, but neither was able to find the late game-winner before the horn.
The 2-1 win is the first time this season the Tigers have scored multiple goals, though Trinity remains unbeaten with a 3-0-1 overall record thus far in the 2015 season. Schreiner falls to 3-2-1, snapping a three-game win streak.
The Tigers hit the road this weekend to take on another SCAC opponent, the University of Dallas, Friday September 18 at 1:30 p.m. Trinity travels to top-ranked - and defending NCAA Division III Champion - Lynchburg College for a Sunday showdown.
