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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Jasmine Casarez
RUHighlanderPhotos.com
3
Winner Liberty LIBERTY (3-5-1, 1-0-0)
2
Radford RAD (5-4-0, 0-1-0)
Winner
Liberty LIBERTY
(3-5-1, 1-0-0)
3
Final
2
Radford RAD
(5-4-0, 0-1-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Liberty LIBERTY 2 0 0 1 3
Radford RAD 0 2 0 0 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

HIGHLANDERS RALLY, BUT FALL TO LIBERTY 3-2 IN DOUBLE OVERTIME



RADFORD, Va. – The Radford women's soccer team rallied from a two-goal second-half deficit to force overtime, but Liberty scored late in the second extra period to come away with a 3-2 victory in the Big South Conference opener Wednesday night at Cupp Stadium.
 
McKensey Ziegler scored her first career goal for the Highlanders and Jasmine Casarez tied the game in the 81st minute off of a corner kick by Jordan Lundin.
 
RU then had several great chances to get the game-winner in the first overtime, but Liberty goalkeeper – and reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year - Holly Van Noord made two leaping tip saves on shots by sophomore Sammie Shiflette to keep the game going.
 
Highlanders' keeper Katie McCormick returned the favor in the second OT, saving a free kick from the top of the box by Liberty offensive leader Brittany Aanderud and making two other stops. However, with under 30 seconds left, the Flames quickly moved upfield and got a ball into the box that was headed forward to Jones, who finished the play for her second goal of the game.
 
"I thought we played well the whole game," Radford head coach Ben Sohrabi said. "We played a very good opponent in Liberty tonight with a high RPI and we went toe-to-toe with them and I'm proud of our effort. I thought we played them very, very well and we look forward to our next game Saturday."
 
Radford (5-4-0, 0-1-0) came out sharp early in the game, but was unable to get on the board as Asyia Mitchell hit the top right corner of the crossbar with a shot from the left wing in the fourth minute.
 
Liberty (3-5-1, 1-0-0) then started to control play and took a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute as Jones finished a counterattack started by Aanderud. The Flames kept the pressure on and drew a foul in the box and Aanderud converted the penalty kick in the 43rd minute for the two-goal edge.
 
Liberty maintained control early in the second half, before Ziegler and Casarez helped the Highlanders turn the momentum. Casarez started the play that led to Ziegler's goal in the 67th minute. She sent a pass outside to Shannon Nasca, who beat a Liberty defender and sent a ball just inside the top of the box. Ziegler was there to corral it off a deflection and put it in the left side.
 
Ziegler followed up by getting loose for two more shots on goal and Amanda Philip had another as Radford pressed for the equalizer. It came when Mitchell had a shot blocked to set up a corner kick. Lundin sent a good one to the near post and the ball bounced around to Casarez, who put it home in a crowd for her second goal of the season.
 
After Liberty had built a sizeable advantage in shots, Radford dominated the final 25 minutes of regulation and then had all six in the first overtime. The Flames countered with all seven attempts in the second OT to finish with a 27-19 edge for the game. McCormick recorded seven saves, while Van Noord had six. The defeat was RU's first in a conference opener since 2006, ending an eight-game unbeaten streak.
 
The Highlanders will wrap up their three-game homestand on Saturday night as they host Presbyterian at 7 p.m. They then hit the road for their next three matches.

 
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