Box Score LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Belmont women's soccer held Louisville scoreless for the first 78 minutes of play while putting on spectacular displays of defense, but was unable to hold on long enough. The Bruins fell, 2-1, to the Cardinals in overtime Sunday afternoon at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.
"We showed today that we can play with an ACC team," head coach Heather Henson said. "We have a lot of energy and heart on this team. We asked them all to do different things and they really stepped up. I couldn't be prouder of them."
After a rather quiet first 20 minutes of action, the Bruins found a rhythm once they earned the first corner kick of the match. Junior defender Heather Ferrari (Duluth, Ga.) served a ball directly to sophomore Emily Whitcomb (Elmhurst, Ill.) who was sitting on the left side of the goal. Whitcomb took Belmont's first shot of the afternoon and forced a Louisville defender to collect a team save after the ball found its way past the goalkeeper. With the momentum riding on the Bruins, senior midfielder Meg Howard (Brentwood, Tenn.) got the ball inside the 18-yard box and found the back of the net to give Belmont the 1-0 advantage in the 23rd minute. It was the second time this weekend that Howard scored the first goal of the match.
Belmont looked to add to its lead in the 34th minute after earning its second corner of the first period. Ferrari sent another gem into the box, finding the head of junior defender Tara Austin (Beaumont, Texas). Austin's header then found the head of freshman forward Anna Brock Hawkins (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) who just barely tapped the ball over the crossbar.
The Bruins continuosly put pressure on the Cardinals through the first 35 minutes of the match, launching four of their six shots in the first half. All four of those first shots were on frame.
Louisville then proceeded to maintain control of the ball for most of the remaining time in the period, but failed to find the equalizer. The Cardinals came close with 30 seconds on the clock after they got the ball by the Bruins defense, but senior goalkeeper Stephanie Bukovec (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was determined to keep BU with the advantage. A Cardinal released a shot within 12-yards of the goal, but Bukovec collected the save as she ran towards her opposition and caught the ball, maintaining Belmont's 1-0 lead as time expired in the first half.
The Cardinals came out of the locker room in search of finding the tying goal but the Bruins' relentless defense kept anything from even getting a glance at the back of the net. The Bruins turned it on in the 68th minute when Louisville managed to get a rare ball past Bukovec, but sophomore defender Sarah Bossung (Nashville, Tenn.) came in and cleared it.
The squad's stout defense continued as all the weight was put on Bukovec in a penalty kick situation. As Belmont held a 1-0 lead, Louisville's Callie McKinney sent a bullet to the left corner of the goal, but Bukovec dove and rejected the ball for her ninth save of the afternoon and denied yet another attepmt by the Cardinals to tie the game. Belmont continued to find ways to stop Louisville from scoring as they sent the ball flying towards the goal but it ricocheted off the crossbar to keep Louisville scoreless through the 77th minute.
Belmont got called for its second foul inside the 18-yard box, giving the Cardinals a second chance at a penalty kick. Bukovec gave it her best try, but the ball glided right by her fingertips and into the back of the net. Louisville's goal tied it up, 1-1, with 12 minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Entering their fourth overtime of the season, the Bruins were on the search for a game-winning shot but were unable to score before the Cardinals. As Louisville was on the run down the field, a Belmont defender got clipped inside the 18-yard box to give the Cardinals a clear look to score the deciding goal in the 98th minute.
"We came in to play our game." Henson said. "I feel like we did that, we didn't change to play their game. It's unfortunate that the match featured a couple of questionable calls that potentially cost us the game. But I'm really proud of how we did as a team."
While Louisville was on search for the equalizer throughout the match they got off 24 shots. Bukovec compiled a season high 11 saves throughout the match.
UP NEXT
The Bruins conclude their non-conference slate at home against Western Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 17. Kick off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at E.S. Rose Park. Saturday's match will include festivities for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Belmont Women's Soccer program.
