Miami University
University of Illinois
Winnett Wins it Again! Freshman's Tally Topples Illini
9/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Twice this season the Miami soccer team has needed more than 100 minutes to get in the win column and both times freshman Olivia Winnett has answered the bell.
The freshman forward scored 1:13 into double overtime to lift the RedHawks to a 1-0 victory at Illinois on Friday night. That tally was her second double overtime winner of the season as she also turned the trick against Western Kentucky on Aug. 26. More importantly, it gives Miami (3-3) its second-straight win and moves it to .500 on the season.
"Our kids played really well tonight," head coach Bobby Kramig said. "I thought this was a very good even game, probably more even than the statistics make it look. It's not unusual for us to be outshot, but our kids competed tonight and stepped up to the challenge and showed a lot of character down the stretch. The thing we've been trying to do with our team is to play higher up the field. We were able to do so for a little bit in the first half at Miami last week, but we did a better job of sustaining that tonight. Our kids have been willing to do the work."
Stormy weather played a large role in the early going, delaying the opening kick time by 20 minutes. Even then, a bolt of lightning halted play 5:58 in, sending the teams and spectators into cover until roughly 8:40 p.m. local time (9:40 ET).
"Our kids were pretty loose going into this game," Kramig said. "They are comfortable playing this level of play. It's all they've seen for quite some time now and I think they're used to it. They don't go into these games against big name teams feeling scared. They play their heart out and do their thing."
The teams got back onto the pitch and got the rest of the first half in. The ball mostly hovered around midfield, with occasional runs on each side. Illinois (2-5) had the bulk of the offensive opportunities with a 7-2 advantage in shots, but Vic Maniaci's four saves held the Illini at bay. Illinois' most dangerous chance of the half came in the 24th minute when a cross from the right flank got through traffic and found the foot of Taylore Peterson, but Maniaci stayed with the play to smother the attempt and keep it scoreless at the break.
Miami had a good opportunity to draw first blood in the 51st minute when a ball was played into the box to a traffic area. The loose ball found Winnett's foot at about 16 yards out, but her tap that got past the keeper went wide of the net to leave it scoreless. The Red and White had a few more opportunities in the attacking third and forced more of the Illini's attempts to the outside, but once again neither team could crack the scoreboard as Miami went to overtime for the third time this season.
The Illini fired both shots in the first overtime, including one tricky bouncing shot from the middle at 15 yards out by Kelly Maday that Maniaci pounced on to keep out. The first 100 minutes were not enough to determine a winner so the contest wore into double overtime.
This scoreless deadlock did not last much longer. After Maniaci made a stop on an Arianna Veland attempt on one end, the senior keeper launched a counter attack with a deep punt that bounced off Rachel Marble's head and into the attacking third. It appeared the Illini would live to fight another day when one of their defenders got to the ball first, but her clear was blocked by Winnett, who then took the ball down the right wing and launched a 20-yarder that beat Claire Wheatley far post for her second goal of the season. Both of the freshman's tallies have been game winners in double overtime.
Illinois did end up with a 17-7 shot advantage, though Miami had a slight (6-5) lead in corner kicks. Maniaci stopped all eight shots she faced for her second consecutive shutout, which extended her personal shutout streak to 265:50. Wheatley stopped one of the two shots that she faced at the other end.
"I'm coming off a good weekend and that has my confidence at a high level," Maniaci said. "Having a good back line in front of me knowing that we have each other's backs also has me feeling very confident. Coming into overtime, everyone was pretty energized and you could tell we just wanted it more. Having everyone energized on the bench and the field really pushed us through the overtime."
Miami returns to the pitch on Sunday when it hosts Texas in its final non-conference match of the 2016 season. Opening kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. The team is also hosting its fifth annual McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oncology Unit picnic at Miami Soccer Field prior to the contest at 12:30 p.m.
