RADFORD – On an unseasonably cold fall night, Radford didn't want to play any longer then necessary.  

Sophomore Maryellen Derenda (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) made sure of that, with her golden goal in the second minute of overtime that lifted the Highlanders to a 2-1 win over Winthrop in Big South women's soccer on Friday night at Cupp Stadium.

“Yeah, it was too cold to be out there,” Derenda admitted, standing in the warmth of Cupp Stadium's athletic training room.

Junior SharDavia Bell (Manassas, Va./Gar-Field), who started the late-game flurry for the Highlanders (7-7-0, 4-1-0 Big South) with her goal in the 80th minute, agreed that the quicker, the better.

“Our late goal definitely gave us energy and momentum going into overtime,” she said.  “We didn't want to play anymore than we had to.”

Trailing 1-0 in the 80th minute, Bell rallied the Highlanders when senior Jill Boyer (Severn, Md./Old Mill) lofted a long ball at the goal that took a high hop over Winthrop (3-8-2, 0-3-1) goalkeeper Kelsy Weavil's head to Bell, who stood on the goal line and tapped in the bouncing ball, tying the game at 1-1.

“I think it was being in the right place at the right time,” Bell said.  “Jill played an amazing ball and coach always to follow the ball, because you never know what can happen.”

Derenda followed 12 minutes later, when she ripped a shot in the penalty box that was blocked, then collected her own rebound and knocked it in for the game-winner.

“I kept my composure, and took advantage,” Derenda said.

“For us to come back the way we did, and get a win like this at home, was really big,” head coach Ben Sohrabi said.

All of the scoring came in the second half, started by Winthrop's Kylie Long on her goal in the 67th minute.  On a great individual effort, Long dribbled from sideline to sideline, pulled up on the far side and lofted a shot under the crossbar from 10 yards out to give the Eagles the lead, 1-0.

Although it ended up taking extra time, Sohrabi credited a relentless late-game effort from the Highlanders for producing the result.

“I've always said that overtime is all about heart.   They had the heart, they were ready to play, and ready to get this done.”

Radford closes out the home portion of the schedule, and honors its five seniors, on Sunday, hosting Gardner-Webb at 1 p.m.