WILMINGTON, OH – With the season hanging in the balance, freshman Rachelle Bowen blasted the Wilmington College women's soccer team into the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament eight minutes into the overtime.
"We told the girls going into overtime, now we just one goal," said head coach Steve Spirk. "Even when they tied it at two, we felt we were destined to win the game tonight."
Needing a victory to keep the season alive, Wilmington never trailed in posting the 3-2 victory over John Carroll Saturday at Charlie Gilhart Field. The Lady Quakers enters the postseason tournament as the fifth seed, and will play at fourth seeded Ohio Northern Monday. Wilmington lost to ONU Tuesday 2-1 on a late second half goal.
Bowen (Xenia, OH/Xenia) bookended the Wilmington scoring as she assisted on the Lady Quakers' first goal of the game. After beating her defender down the right flank, she played the ball to the middle of the box where sophomore Lauren Hamrock (Beavercreek, OH/Beavercreek) deflected it over to sophomore Camille Gentile (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg). From there, Gentile didn't hesitate in putting the ball in the back of the net.
A late goal in the first half knotted the game at one, and seemed destined to go into half tied. But, Wilmington had a different idea as freshman Lauren Lewis (Wilmington, OH/Wilmington) gained possession near midfield and dribbled down the left flanking outrunning several JCU defender before beating the keeper.
The score stayed that way, and Wilmington was 17 minutes from clinching the berth in regulation. However, the Blue Streaks had an unmarked player alone in the box and scored the equalizer.
Senior Hannah Riffel (Circleville, OH/Logan Elm) played the entire 98 minutes between the pipes to earn her first victory of the year. It was only her second start, and third appearance, this season as she has battled injuries. She made one save, coming in the final moments of regulation to preserve the tie.
"I told Hannah before the game she had the most experience of all the goalkeepers, and I felt she was going to have a great game and she did," said Spirk. "The other two keepers are both good, but Hannah is a senior and she has played a lot the last two years coming into this year. I give her all of the credit."
