GENESEO, N.Y.- The Geneseo Knights go down to the wire once again, pulling off a 1-0 victory over Misericordia in the 105th minute of Sunday's NCAA Women's Soccer Playoff Second Round game.
The first half was highlighted by strong defensive play on both sides. Just five minutes into the game, Misericordia nearly got on the board. Geneseo goalie Emily Janiszewski was able to tip a shot over the crossbar to keep the Cougars scoreless. Twenty minutes later, Misericordia appeared to have scored, but the goal was nullified due to an offsides call.
At halftime, the scoreless tie persisted. Each team was able to muster only two shots on goal, a sign of the defensive struggle.
The second half was much of the same; each team had opportunities to but could not position themselves to score. In the fifty-third minute, Geneseo's leading goal-scorer, Audrey Reid, came very close to breaking through, but Misericordia goalkeeper Alyssa Pojero was able to make the stop.
When the clock ran out, the teams remained tied at zero. It was time for Geneseo's second straight trip to overtime.
In the first overtime period, both teams were, once again, unable to convert offensive pushes into a score. In the ninety-seventh minute, Knight goalkeeper Janiszewski made a tremendous save that pushed the game into the second overtime.
The beginning of the second overtime saw each team desperately trying to break through. Each team had solid opportunities to score and avoid penalty kicks.
Then, in the 105th minute, the Knights were awarded a corner kick. Reid stepped up for Geneseo and sent a cross into the goalie box, where Ashley Byrne was able to head the game-winning goal in dramatic fashion. Byrne is no stranger to late heroics, as she scored the game-tying goal for Geneseo in NCAA First Round action with two minutes remaining in regulation.
Janiszewski finished with seven saves and a shutout, while her Cougar counterpart Pojero recorded five saves.
The Knights (18-1-2) will now move on to face Johns Hopkins in the Third Round of NCAA Playoffs.
