Box Score LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College women's soccer team played one of their strongest games of the year but fell in overtime as Emory & Henry College's Kellie Flaherty lifted the Wasps past the WildCats 1-0 in overtime from a rainy, soggy WildCat Stadium in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play.
Flaherty scored the game-winner 1:31 into overtime from 40 yards out, as she caught the Randolph defense and keeper off guard. Her shot lofted up into the air and a valiant effort from Randolph keeper Hunter Gibson (Newport News, VA/Denbigh) only deflected the ball into the side netting.
Randolph (4-8/2-7 ODAC) had a great opportunity to strike early in the contest, as Marielle Rando (Powhatan, VA/Powhatan) gathered a turnover from the EHC goalie, but just fired wide left. Minutes later, Rando again had a great chance but missed this time barely to the right of the net. The rest of the half was back and forth, though the best scoring chance came when EHC's Erica Merriman headed a corner off the cross bar.
In the second half, Randolph really turned on the pressure, playing in the Wasp's defensive third for much of the period. In the 63rd minute, Melisa Rodriguez (Culpeper, VA/Eastern View) broke into the box and was brought down from behind earning a penalty kick. First-year Ashley Oswald (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) struck a nice PK, but Emory & Henry keeper Sarah Jerome made a sprawling save to keep things scoreless.
Gibson had many saves in the match which kept things scoreless, as she finished with four saves on the evening. Randolph and Emory & Henry played almost an even match, as the two teams were deadlocked with 11 shots and two corner kicks apiece. Jerome came in at halftime and made three saves in the win.
Randolph's backline, highlighted by the play of Brianne Roth (Yorktown, VA/Grafton) , Ashley Stevens (Leicester, MA/St. Peter-Marian) and Elisa Otero (Chevy Chase, MD/St. John's) , harassed EHC's two leading goal scorers, Merriman and Bethany Myer, all night long.
The WildCats will continue their homestand Sunday afternoon with another ODAC contest, this time hosting cross town rival and No. 19-ranked Lynchburg College at 1 p.m. in WildCat Stadium.
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