ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - - Having a last minute win ripped away in its last game, the Wilmington University women's soccer team returned the favor on Saturday, opening the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a come from behind, 2-1, double overtime victory at the DC Athletic Field for the team's first win of the season.
Wilmington (1-2, 1-0 CACC) scored in the 86th minute to erase a 1-0 deficit and converted on a penalty kick in the 118th minute to steal a victory away from Dominican (0-3, 0-1).
"This game will definitely be one that I will not forget," head coach Josh Ruggiero said. "It rained like I've never seen it rain before and our girls battled through the elements and got the win. We got in a hole on an unfortunate play in the box that gave them a penalty kick, but I'm so proud of how this team responded. It was a great win all around."
The Wildcats dominated the pace of play and possession of the ball for nearly the entire match, but couldn't find the back of the net in the first half. Wilmington went into the halftime with an 11-2 shot advantage, and a 4-0 advantage on corner kicks, but it was Dominican who was up 1-0.
The second half was more of the same for the Wildcats, as they outshot the Chargers, 10-3, and held a 3-0 advantage on corners taken. But it wasn't until the 86th minute that the Wildcats solved Dominican goalkeeper Veronica Iozzi.
On a free kick from 35 yards out on the left side of the field, sophomore Victoria Vasapolli blasted a shot that beat Iozzi and hit the right connection of the goal, stunning the Dominican defense and tying the game at 1-1 with 4:04 to play in the match. The Wildcat would get three more shots off during the rest of regulation, but Iozzi made one save in goal while two other sailed wide, sending the game into overtime.
The possession was once again in favor of the Wildcats, as they took four shots in the first overtime period and two more in the second, while not allowing the Chargers to get a shot off in the extra periods.
It wasn't until the 118th minute that the Wildcat found a way in.
"We had been pushing and had the momentum the entire overtime period. After a collision in the box, the referee granted us the penalty kick and we finally got our break," Ruggiero said of the call.
Sophomore Morgan Fraczkowski made an aggressive play on a ball, pushing it into the 18 yard box as she collided with a Chargers' defender with the ball at her foot, giving her the penalty kick.
Senior Penelope Fantis stepped up and sank the kick for her first goal of the season, and the match's golden goal. The mark was the first penalty kick of the season for the Wildcats, helping them win their first game.
Overall, the Wildcats outshot the Chargers 27-5 and attempted 11 corner kicks to Dominican's zero.
Iozzi made 12 stops in goal for the Chargers while Wildcat goalkeeper Amanda Walters made two saves in 117:02 minutes.
The Wildcats will remain on the road for one more match, as they head to Golde-Beacom for another match against a CACC rival. They will play the Lightning on Tuesday starting at 3:00 p.m.