Pirates Top SMU In Penalty Kicks To Advance To AAC Semifinals

Wednesday, October 31

Tampa, Fla.

7 PM

East Carolina University

Southern Methodist University

Photo by: American Athletic Conference

Pirates Top SMU In Penalty Kicks To Advance To AAC Semifinals

October 31, 2018 | Soccer

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – After a grueling 110 minutes, the ECU women's soccer team advanced past SMU on penalty kicks on Wednesday night in the first round of the AAC tournament. The two teams were tied 1-1 heading into the spot kicks, but ECU made all five of its penalties to advance 5-3.

The first half of the match was dominated by SMU. ECU could not get anything going offensively, mustering only one shot during the first 45 minutes. The Mustangs, on the other hand, let loose eight shots, including a pair on goal, while also taking four corners. The Pirate defense held though, with Melanie Stiles making a pair of saves to keep the game scoreless at the break.

"We are elated to be moving on to the semifinals," said head coach Jason Hamilton. "I thought the first half was one of our poorest of the season. SMU was much better and carried the game. At halftime, we addressed the nerves of the team and refocused."

SMU continued to attack at the start of the second half. That offensive pressure paid off in the 56th minute. Blair Thorpe beat an ECU defender on the right side of the Pirate box and played a cross towards the back post. Allie Thornton was there to head the ball down and into the ECU goal to open the scoring.

With their season on the line, the Pirates began to press forward, looking for an equalizing goal. ECU's first shot on goal came in the 65th minute, when Jenna Dages rose for a header off a Daria Draovitch corner kick. Although the effort was saved, the floodgates began to open for ECU. Three minutes later, Tori Riggs flashed a long-range effort just wide of the SMU goalpost.

As the clock continued to wind down, ECU lined up to take a corner kick in the 73rd minute, the fifth corner of the night for the Pirates. This time, Draovitch's initial cross was knocked down to Erin Mikalsen in the middle of the SMU box. Mikalsen did not panic in front of the Mustang goal, calmly taking a touch with her right foot that set her up to rip a rising shot with her left. Mikalsen's effort was too much for SMU goalkeeper Samantha Estrada to handle, as it flew past her outstretched hands and into the back of the net.
"I thought the second part of the second half and through the overtime, things really swung in our direction," Hamilton added. "We are very proud of how our ladies responded."

Both teams had great chances to score the game-winning goal during overtime.The first chance of the extra period came just 53 seconds in when Courtney Cash played Cashlin Copley in behind the SMU defense, but Estrada sprinted out to smother Copley's shot.

In the second overtime, each goalkeeper came up with an outstanding save to extend the match. First, an SMU cross found Hannah Allred right in front of the ECU goal and she flipped a shot towards the Pirate goal. Stiles, who was already sliding towards Allred, denied the effort with an outstanding kick save. Less than a minute later, Cash took her chances with a long-range shot, but Estrada got enough of her hand on it to tip it up and over the SMU crossbar.

After 110 minutes, the two teams headed to penalty kicks to decide who would advance. The first three shooters all converted their spot kicks, with Jayda Hylton-Pelaia and Riggs scoring for ECU. Then, with Vanessa Valdez shooting for SMU, Stiles once again made a key stop for the Pirates, this time diving to her right to turn away Valdez's effort.

With ECU holding the slim one penalty edge, Marianna Shurina and Kat Gonzalez both stepped up and buried their penalties. The Mustangs matched each time, sending the shootout to the fifth and final round with ECU needing to make its final kick to advance. Stepping up for the Pirates was Jenna Dages and like her four teammates before her, Dages converted the penalty, advancing ECU by a margin of 5-3.

SMU finished with a 19-11 edge in shots while the two teams each took seven corner kicks. Stiles made six saves in regulation and overtime. The shootout victory was the first for ECU since advancing past SMU in the 2005 C-USA Tournament.

"Mel made a couple of big saves to keep us in the game," Hamilton added. "Erin was super composed and had a great finish to get us back in the game. This is a great experience for our ladies having to play in games where it is all on the line."

ECU will now take on top seed and host USF at 7 p.m., on Friday night in Corbett Stadium. It will be the second ECU appearance in the AAC semifinals and the first since the 2014 season