Conner Strikes Again, Davidson W. Soccer Wins 2-1 in Double-OT

Thursday, September 27

Davidson, N.C.

7 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

5-3-0

Appalachian State*

5-1-2

OT 3

OT 4

Appalachian State

Davidson

Conner netted her third game-winner of the season with a golden goal in the 107th minute of the second overtime.

Conner Strikes Again, Davidson W. Soccer Wins 2-1 in Double-OT

9/27/2007 9:22:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

DAVIDSON, N.C. –– For the third time this year, sophomore Lauren Conner's (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) right foot was the hero in guiding the Davidson women's soccer team to a victory when she struck for her third game-winner of the season in the 107th minute of the second overtime and the Wildcats scored a thrilling 2-1 win over Appalachian State on Thursday in both teams first Southern Conference match.

Davidson saw its winning streak reach four as it starts SoCon play 1-0 for the sixth straight year, while improving to 5-3-0 overall this year. ASU saw its school-best seven-match unbeaten streak come to an end as the Mountaineers fell to 0-1 in league play and 5-1-2 overall.

Conner has tallied all three of her career game-winning goals this season. She netted the lone goal in Davidson's 1-0 overtime win over High Point on Sept. 2. Then in a 3-1 win over Mercer, the sophomore struck for the go-ahead goal in the 61st minute of the second half.

Her heroics were on display yet again Thursday night when it looked as though both teams would play to a draw. With the clock winding down to under three minutes left in the second overtime, Davidson conjured up one last charge.

Sophomore Kyri Bye-Nagel (Hanau, Germany) drove down the left side and sent a cross from the far side of the field that was blocked in the 18-yard box. Junior Tiffany Mumby (Houston, Texas) then controlled the loose ball, took one touch and sent a left-footed cross to the goalie box to Conner, who slipped the ball in for the game-winner. The goal was Conner's fourth of the season and tied her for the team lead with Bye-Nagel.

Davidson dominated the majority of the game even before it took a 1-0 lead in the second half, out-shooting the Mountaineers at one time by the count of 15-0 late in the game. They finished with a season-high 23 shots, nine of them on goals.

The Wildcats grabbed what looked like would be the game-winning goal in the 57th minute when sophomore Blakely Low (San Antonio, Texas) picked up her second score of the season on a header off a cross from senior Nancy Haskell (Blacksburg, Va.) in the penalty box. The two hooked up just six days ago on almost the same play in a 2-1 win over Vanderbilt.

Despite keeping control of the field and putting pressure on the Mountaineer defense, Davidson let up a bit with about 10 minutes remaining, resulting in an ASU game-tying goal.

With five minutes to go in regulation, the Wildcat defense was whistled for a handball just outside the 18-yard box. The free kick allowed Jaclyn Hoffman to line up and take a direct shot pass the Wildcat defensive wall and a diving Beth Peters (Atlanta, Ga) on the near side of the goal post to knot things up at 1-all in the 85th minute.

Davidson had two shots in the first overtime that just sailed high, while ASU almost stole Conner's thunder in the second overtime when Caroline Lowe ripped a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced straight down. Peters was there to haul in the ball before any Mountaineer players could push the ball past the goal line, setting up Conner's winning strike.

Peters, in her first collegiate start, registered three saves on the evening as Davidson's defense did a good job of keeping the pressure off her when ASU was attacking.

The Mountaineers' Emma White finished with seven saves.

Davidson hunts for its second SoCon win when the Wildcats travel to The Citadel on Sunday, Sept. 30 for a 2 p.m. affair against the Bulldogs.

Scoring Summary
57:10     DAV   Blakely Low (Haskell)
85:00     ASU   Jaclyn Hoffman (unassisted)
107:26 DAV   Lauren Conner (Mumby)