Thursday, November 7, 2013

TUKWILA, Wash. - It didn't take long into overtime for Brina Sych to send her team into the championship match of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament Saturday night.

After battling to a 1-1 score in 90 minutes of regulation, the senior Western Washington defender converted a shot from inside the box in just the third minute of overtime, handing the Vikings a dramatic 2-1 victory over Western Oregon in the second semifinal match at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.

Game 1 of the 2013 GNAC Tournament had an equally-dramatic ending with the same final score. A scramble in the penalty area with less than five minutes remaining led to a Central Washington own goal, pushing Seattle Pacific to a 2-1 victory.

Game 1 Recap

Meghan Ward launched a high shot from outside of the 18-yard box that sneaked over the head of SPU goalkeeper Natalie Harold and below the crossbar to give CWU the lead in the 10th minute.

SPU nearly capitalized on a dangerous opportunity in the 17th minute when CWU goalkeeper Kayla Lipston came off her line in an attempt to clear a loose ball in the box. The Falcons could not get a foot on the loose ball, and CWU earned a free kick just two minutes later just 25 yards out from the goal. Hadli Farrand lined up a shot, but it sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

Demi Waitley found the ball at her foot just 10 yards out midway through the second and fired a low hard shot towards goal. Lipston smothered the shot to prevent an equalizing goal.

CWU withstood three consecutive Falcon corner kicks with 26 minutes remaining in the game, as three low, sharp crosses from Alexa Diaz were dealt with by the Wildcat back line.

Another corner kick just two minutes later deflected off a CWU defender and took a ricochet off the right goal post.

With time running out in the second half, SPU was awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box. Ashley Shaw calmly tucked a curling shot into the lower right corner of the net, past a diving Lipston to even the score at 1-1.

With less than 12 minutes remaining, Diaz punctured through the CWU back line and took a point-blank shot from the top of the box. Lipston came off her line and deflected the strike, preventing one of the most dangerous scoring opportunities of the game for SPU.

Inside of five minutes remaining, a cross found its way into the box and deflected off of a CWU defender into the back of the net. The Wildcats could not recover from the last-minute strike, failing to mount an attack in the final minutes of play.

Game 2 Recap

Brianna Jones got Western Washington on the board in the second half with a left-footed shot inside a crowded goal box that found its way into the upper-left corner of the net.

In the 74th minute, fortune turned in WOU's favor, as a cross sent into the box by Peyton Moon bounced past WWU goalkeeper Alyssa Beauchamp, and was tapped into an open net by Savannah Bogan. 

Each team had opportunities down the stretch, but neither could convert as the teams moved to the first overtime match in GNAC Tournament history.

Shortly after the opening whistle of overtime, WWU unleashed an offensive assault into the WOU box. The ball reached the far side of the box, where Sych shook off a defender, gathered herself in the cluster of players, and finished a low shot past Wolf goalkeeper Amanda Rose Johnson into the back of the net.

WWU, which has twice beaten Seattle Pacific by the score of 2-1 this season, will square off against the Falcons in the Championship Match at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Starfire Sports Complex.