Andy Amey
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
After threatening in the waning seconds of three different periods Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, the Indiana State women’s soccer team finally took advantage of its last opportunity when Casey Clark found the top corner of the net with 26 seconds remaining in the second extra period for a 2-1 nonconference win over Eastern Illinois.
It was a well deserved and long overdue score for the Sycamores, who nearly broke the 1-1 tie by scrambling to get off a corner kick in the last 10 seconds of the first period, who were on the doorstep with the ball bouncing around as regulation time ended, and who put a free kick on goal in the final minute of the first 10-minute overtime session.
“Pretty exciting,” coach Erika True noted after the match. “[The match] could’ve been winnable a few times earlier. I told the girls that overtime wins are always exciting, but it would be nice to get it done in regulation [time].
“But I thought the kids fought hard. They deserved that. Focusing on finishing is something we’ll continue to do in practice.”
The deserving part wasn’t just coach-speak. ISU outshot the Panthers 23-9 for the game, 17-3 after an even first period, and were the more aggressive team all day.
And after a pretty goal less than eight minutes into the match, when Alison Gasparovich’s crossing pass to Clark left the Sycamore senior alone in front of the EIU net for a tap-in, the home team appeared to be on its way.
“Alison Gasparovich played a great ball, and it was just a matter of making contact,” Clark said after the match. “It was the pass that made the goal; I was just in the right place at the right time.”
After that score the Sycamores seemed for awhile to be willing to turn the game over to keeper Emily Lahay and the defense; considering Lahay, last week’s Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week, entered the match not having been scored upon in 197 consecutive minutes, it didn’t seem like that bad a plan.
But the visitors had their best stretch of play in the latter stages of the first period, and were rewarded with a goal that was spectacular or extremely fortunate, depending on one’s point of view, in the 27th minute.
A long, high Panther free kick had been thwarted by the ISU defense, but the ball was still bouncing as it came to Eastern’s Elise Farrelly about 18 yards out. With her back turned almost completely away from the goal, she kicked the ball backward with her right foot over her left shoulder and it bent into the top corner of the net.
“Just one of those fluke things,” Lahay said after the match, “but I think we responded really well. We recognized [the scoreless streak] is behind us now, and the team was focused.”
Lahay didn’t have much work to do the rest of the way. But although the Sycamores threatened repeatedly, with Seyma Erenli peppering six of her eight shots in the second period, the winning score was still a long time coming.
But as the clock wound down to what seemed to be a certain and unsatisfying tie, defenseman Katie Geyman brought the ball up to Ashley Collins. Collins’ crossing shot from the right wing deflected off Eastern keeper Kaylin Lorbert to the left side, where Clark was waiting to put it away.
“Ashley Collins played a great ball across,” Clark said later. “It was bouncing and I just volleyed it.”
ISU is now riding a three-match winning streak, its longest since winning six in a row during the 2006 season, and is above .500 for the first time since winning the 2008 season opener — also in overtime, also against Eastern Illinois. Geyman, coincidentally, had the goal that day.
Sunday’s goals were the first two of the season for Clark, a four-year veteran. If it wasn’t her best day as a Sycamore, she at least feels it’s shaping up as her best year.
“Today was definitely a team effort. They just gave me great balls to finish,” Clark said. “This is by far the best year [since I’ve been at ISU]. We’re having a lot of fun and trying to enjoy every moment.”
“The kids are pretty excited,” True agreed.
n Soccer goes to the dogs — ISU’s next home match, at 7 p.m. Friday against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, is Bark in the Park Night. Fans are invited to bring their dogs, as well as items to be donated to the humane shelter.
Eastern Illinois 1 0 0 0 — 1
Indiana State 1 0 0 1 — 2
ISU — Casey Clark (Alison Gasparovich)
EIU — Elise Farrelly
ISU — Clark (Katie Geyman, Ashley Collins)
Shots — ISU 23 (Seyma Erenli 8, Morgan Wendlandt 6), EIU 9 (Farrelly 3).
Shots on goal — ISU 6, EIU 3.
Corner kicks — ISU 7, EIU 4.
Fouls — ISU 18, EIU 6.
Next — Indiana State (3-2) has a 7 p.m. home match Friday against UMKC. Eastern Illinois is 2-3-1.
