Morgan Hill’s (Martinsville, Va./Carlisle) penalty kick with 1:49 left in double overtime provided the game-winner, as EMU’s soccer women earned their first victory of the year, taking down Hood by a final of 4-3. Known more for her great possession and passing skills, Hill proved she could finish as well by calmly hitting the right side of the goal for the win.
After scoring just one goal over their first three games of the season, the Royals’ explosion of scores was not just a welcome relief for the players, but a sign of the jelling talent on the young team.
The visiting Blazers actually scored first in the game, which was started in a drizzle, when they scored in the eighth minute. But freshman Sierra Martin (Glenwood Springs, Colo./Glenwood Springs) put EMU on the board with their first shot of the night in the 16th minute. Martin drove up the right side of the field, and her tough shot deflected off a Hood defender and into the goal.
Nora Osei (Springfield, Va./West Springfield), an All-ODAC Second Team forward last fall, got her first goal of the season by knocking in a header off a Hill corner in the 34th minute.
Action really picked up in the second half, as Hood equalized in the 51st minute and then re-took the lead 12 minutes later. But Hill and Osei hooked up once again on a corner with just over 10 minutes left in regulation, knotting the score at 3-3.
The Blazers had some surges in overtime, but freshmanAmanda Williams (Millsboro, De./Delmana Christian) set up Hill’s clinching PK when she made a move up the right side and got taken down in the box. Hill finished with a career best four points, notching the one goal with two assists.
Shots were evenly distributed in the contest, with Hood holding a slight 15-12 advantage. The visitors also had a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Becca Borg (Gig Harbor Wash./Peninsula) made three saves for EMU.
The Royals look to defend their home turf once again on Wednesday when they host Marymount University. Game time is 7:00pm.
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