BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. - The second first-round matchup of the 2018 American Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship went the distance as No. 4 ECU ended in a double overtime draw against No. 5 SMU, 1-1. The Pirates were able to get past the Mustangs, 5-3, in penalty kicks.
It was the 13
th overtime game in American Athletic Conference Championship history and now nine of those matches have gone to PK's.
While ECU converted on all five of its attempts, it was redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Melanie Stiles that came up with the big stop on SMU's second attempt to turn the tide in the Pirates favor. With a chance to end it with a make, junior Jenna Dages stepped up and buried it to advance ECU to The American semifinals for the second time. The Pirates now face No. 1 seed and host team USF on Friday, November 4, 7 p.m. ET.
After a scoreless first half, SMU got on the board first but ECU answered 12 minutes later and kept the Mustangs off the board for the final 54 minutes to advance.
SMU controlled much of the first half of action as the Mustangs limited ECU to just one shot in the first 45 minutes of play. Stiles was up to the challenge however as she made two first-half saves against eight shots and four corner kicks.
The Mustangs finally broke through in the 57
th minute as the upperclassmen combo of Thornton and senior Allie Blair combined for the goal. SMU worked it in deep inside the ECU zone when Blair crossed one left to Thornton who headed it just inside the post for her 10
th goal of the season.
Though SMU did well to stymie most of ECU's chances, the Pirates found the equalizer in the 73
rd minute. Junior Daria Draovitch took a corner kick from the far side where sophomore Erin Mikalsen corralled the ball and blasted it home for her first career goal.
In overtime, SMU looked poised to move on in the 103
rd minute as they lined up a point-blank shot, but Stiles was again there with an impressive kick save. Just a minute later it was ECU with the chance but the Mustangs' Samantha Estrada was able to punch it up over the crossbar to keep the stalemate.
No. 4 ECU and No. 1 USF now square off on the American Digital Network via Facebook.