Women's Soccer | 10/29/2014 7:37:00 PM
Box Score WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Sarah Evans scored with less than 4 minutes remaining in the second overtime period hereWednesday, lifting the West Liberty University women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory against Shepherd in a crucial Mountain East Conference match at the West Liberty Soccer Complex. Not only did the win by Coach Barry Christmas' Hilltoppers (6-6-3, 6-5-2) keep the Rams (9-8-1, 7-7-0) from clinching the MEC's fourth and final playoff spot, it put West Liberty in control of its own post-season destiny. Shepherd is still one point ahead of the fifth-place Hilltoppers in the MEC standings but a West Liberty win in Sunday'sregular-season finale at West Virginia Wesleyan would eliminate the Rams, giving WLU the first MEC Tournament berth in the program's brief history.
West Liberty opened the scoring on Wednesday when Janice Johnson finished off an assist from Evans in the ninth minute of action but Shepherd – which could have eliminated the Hilltoppers with a win or a tie – equalized in the 26th minute when Stephanie Cox knocked in a rebound off a shot by Katie Socks. That was the only ball that got past West Liberty keeper Allie Warsaw, who came up big in WLU's biggest game of the season. Shepherd launched 17 shots at Warsaw on the afternoon and even though 11 of them were on frame, Warsaw turned 10 of them away to keep the hosts' post-season hopes alive. Neither team scored in the second half or the first overtime period but just when it seemed that the Rams would escape with a tie, Thanna Oddo sent a cross to Evans near the top of the box. Evans redirected it past the Shepherd keeper into the bottom right corner of the cage for the game-winner. The Hilltoppers will close out the regular season – and try to lock up an MEC Tournament berth – on Sunday with a 1 p.m. match at West Virginia Wesleyan.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
West Liberty 2, Shepherd 1, 2OT
Shepherd 1 0 0 0 – 1
West Liberty 1 0 0 1 – 2
First Half
Shep: Goal: Stephanie Cox (Katie Socks), 25:25
Overtime
Game Statistics
Shots: Shepherd 17, West Liberty 11
Saves: Shepherd 4 (Anna Mueller 4), West Liberty 10 (Allie Warsaw 10) Corners: Shepherd 2, West Liberty 2
A: 64
