Mastodons Drop Slugfest in Double-OT

Tuesday, September 4

Fort Wayne, Ind.

5:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

0-2-0

Cleveland State

1-2-0

OT 3

OT 4

Cleveland State

IPFW

9/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Sept. 4, 2007

Box Score

Fort Wayne, IN - Cleveland State got the equalizer with just 1:31 left in regulation, and the game winner in double-overtime, as the Vikings topped IPFW in a marathon, 5-4.

In a match where each team squandered two-goal leads, it was Cleveland State getting out of the gate early.

At the 8:15 mark of the first half, senior forward Shayna Back took a cross from junior forward Jennifer Wieand in the box and rolled a shot to the far side past IPFW keeper Malinda Holmer.

The Vikings got their second score of the match in the 23rd minute on a sharp-angled shot from junior forward Abbie Kakias.

But, just when it looked like CSU would run away and hide, the Mastodons scored four unanswered goals.  The first coming from senior midfielder Brittany Saylor.  Saylor took a pass from junior forward Danielle Orlandella and chipped a ball over CSU net minder Kelly Zinkiewich, making it 2-1 Cleveland State at the half.

The 'Dons struck early and often in the second half.

Just 4:47 in, junior midfielder Heather Currie picked up a loose ball inside the 18 and blasted a shot that Zinkiewich couldn't handle, tying the game at two.

In the 61st minute, Orlandella out-dribbled the Vikings defense in the box, sent a ball out wide and ripped a sliding shot past a diving Zinkiewich to make it, 3-2 IPFW.

Just a minute later, senior midfielder Jenny Thornton put her head on a ball, getting behind the CSU defense.  She deeked to the left, then back to the right, and finished with an easy shot to the left hand corner of the net giving IPFW a 4-2 lead.

However, this one was far from over.

At the 68:42 mark, CSU freshman Nicole Howard did a tight-rope walk along the IPFW goal line, and chipped a shot just over an outstretched Holmer to draw the Vikings to within one.

From there it was all Wieand.  She managed to get behind the IPFW defense and blasted home the tying goal at the 88:29 mark, and with just over three minutes gone in the second overtime, won it with a chipshot over Holmer's head.

In a very close match, Cleveland State (1-2-0) out-shot IPFW 24-17. 

Zinkiewich made nine saves for the win, while Holmer stopped six Viking shots in the loss.

IPFW (0-2-0) will return to action on Friday afternoon, traveling to Valparaiso to take on the Crusaders at 3:00 p.m.

~Dons~