OXFORD, Ohio – Facing unbeaten Central Michigan at home, the Miami soccer team generated plenty of scoring chances and battled for over 100 minutes, but a late CMU goal sent MU to a 1-0 double overtime setback on Sunday.
The Chippewas scored with 3:50 left in the second overtime after the RedHawks had put together a stellar defensive performance to that point.
Play was conservative at the outset as neither team had a shot or a corner kick for roughly 15 minutes to start the contest. The RedHawks (2-7, 1-1 Mid-American) did get some attack going as the half wore on, with
Soph Spinell getting a look down the right wing for a shot that Zoie Reed stopped.
In the 34th minute,
Emily Sexton was fed into the box by
Elle Gill and came in close to the net, but Reed stopped her from point blank range to keep it scoreless. A corner kick in the 40th minute nearly connect as well with King's feed finding
Bronwen Sears' foot for a redirect that Reed made a diving stop on. Shots ended up 4-4, but neither team found the net as the contest remained scoreless at the break.
Lyda Bogdanovitch had a look about five minutes into the second half after
Olivia Winnett played her into the box at the right wing, but Reed turned her bid aside. The Chippewas began taking some more shots, though several were more to the outside. CMU (6-0-2, 2-0 MAC) did get one good look in the waning moments of regulation when Marle Bringard fired a shot from the right wing that
Izzie Vaccari made a leaping stop on to send the contest to overtime.
The Chippewas got an opportunity late in the first extra session when a foul just outside the box gave Alina Miagkova a bid from 20 yards out that just barely cleared the crossbar, leaving the contest going to a second overtime. A turnover in MU's defensive area led to the golden goal for CMU as Bringard fired one home from in the box to end the contest with 3:50 showing on the clock.
CMU ended up with a 17-9 shot advantage for the day, though MU put seven on target to CMU's five. The Chippewas also had a 6-3 lead in corner kicks. Vaccari finished the day with four saves and 18 on 20 shots for the weekend.
Five of MU's next six MAC contests are on the road, beginning with a tilt at Buffalo next Friday night at 7 p.m.
