Box Score Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop women's soccer team battled Liberty to a 1-1 tie on Saturday evening at Eagle Field in Big South action.
The tie brings the Eagles record to 8-8-2 overall and 3-3-2 in the conference, while the Flames are now 2-12-2 overall and 2-6-1 in the league.
Erin Foote gave Winthrop a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute courtesy of a penalty kick. The goal was the team-tying fourth goal for Foote. The Eagles were awarded after Stevie Lucas was fouled by a Liberty defender inside the 18-yard box and Foote was selected to take the kick.
The Flames would answer in the 23rd minute to tie the game at 1-1 when Silvia Betancourt scored off a deflected save by Dimi Poulos. Amy Oberlin took the initial shot that was deflected by Poulos and bounced over her head. Betancourt received the rebound and scored in the open net.
Winthrop had opportunity in the 34th minute to go up 2-1, but the shot by Chelsea Tidwell bounced off the top bar of the goal and was cleared by Liberty.
The Flames held a 7-5 advantage in total shots and 3-2 in shots-on-goal over the Eagles. Liberty also led 3-1 in corner kicks.
The Flames had a chance to score the game-winning goal just before the end of regulation when Maria Owen took her first shot inside the goal box, the shot deflected off Poulos and back to Owen. She took the shot into the open goal, but Kristen Lee was standing right in front of the goal to block the shot.
Both teams battled hard through the two overtime periods, but neither team was able to score the game-winner.
Liberty and Winthrop both finished with 12 shots and 6 attempts-on-net, while the Flames held a 17-4 advantage in corner kicks.
“We played well tonight despite playing a majority of the game with just 10 players,” said head coach Melissa Heinz. “I am proud of the effort by our players tonight. Liberty is a good team despite what their record shows. Dimi also came up pretty big in the net tonight. A lot of our players played hard tonight as well.”
Owen led the Flames with three shots, while goalie Ashley Nyholt finished with five saves.
Tidwell, Courtney Durbin, and Chelsea White led the Eagles with two shots apiece and Poulos finished with five saves.
Prior to the contest, Winthrop recognized seniors Foote, Poulos, White, Kathleen Pollard, and Kristen Lee.
The Eagles will wrap up their regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 29 as they host Radford at 6 p.m. in conference action.
