WKU Rallies Twice from Two-Goal Deficit, Draws 3-3 Against Rice

Sunday, October 14

Bowling Green, Ky.

1 P.M. CT

Western Kentucky University

-474 (242 CUSA)

Rice

-573 (331 CUSA)

OT 3

OT 4

Rice

WKU

WKU Rallies Twice from Two-Goal Deficit, Draws 3-3 Against Rice

10/14/2018 4:56:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU trailed by two goals on two separate occasions against Rice on Sunday afternoon, but a strong rally over the final 30 minutes of regulation gave the Lady Toppers a hard-earned 3-3 draw over the visiting Owls at the WKU Soccer Complex.

Goals from Kaylyn Bryant and Olivia Stanley, alongside Chandler Backes' first-half strike, gave WKU (4-7-4, 2-4-2 C-USA) another critical point in the race to make the C-USA Tournament. The draw capped an impressive weekend for the Lady Toppers, who earned a point against both the 2017 C-USA regular season (Rice) and tournament (North Texas) champions.

WKU peppered the Rice defense with 20 shots on Sunday afternoon, including eight from reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week Ambere Barnett. With her eight shots on Sunday, Barnett now has 47 on the season, tied for the 10th-most in a single season by any Lady Topper and the most by a WKU player since Iris Dunn had 51 in 2015.

Bailee Witt played the full 110 minutes in goal, making two saves while earning the draw.

Rice (5-7-3, 3-3-1 C-USA) had goals from Annie Walker and Dominique Mazero on the afternoon, as well as an own goal against WKU. The Owls had a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks but ultimately were unable to stave off the strong second-half rally by the Lady Toppers.

In goal, Bella Killgore played the full match for Rice, allowing WKU's three goals while also coming away with three saves.

Nicole Roseland nearly put WKU in front just under 10 minutes into the match on a long shot from outside the box. The senior found the ball in space from 30 yards and fired on goal, but Killgore was able to get under the ball for the save as it had just a bit too much lift.

Midway through the half, Rice got two quick goals, both off headers, to take a 2-0 lead over the Lady Toppers. Walker scored the first off a corner kick in the 22nd minute, and Mazero doubled the lead at the 34:46 mark off assists from Lianne Mananquil and Marissa Topolski.

Despite falling behind by two goals, however, WKU battled its way right back into the match before halftime as Backes tallied her first goal since Sept. 3. Set up by a low pass from Kerragan Mulzer on the right side, the junior fired a hard shot into the lower right corner past the goalkeeper to cut the deficit in half and send WKU into the halftime break trailing by only one goal, 2-1.

Coming out of the break, Ashley Leonard appeared to have pulled WKU even in the 53rd minute on a short chip shot from inside the box, but the sophomore was whistled offsides and the goal was disallowed, restoring Rice's 2-1 lead. The Owls were able to add an insurance goal on an own goal just two minutes later to push WKU's deficit to 3-1 with 35 minutes to play.

The Lady Toppers refused to go away, cutting back into the lead again at the 61:29 mark. Roseland lined up a corner from the left side, and Bryant streaked toward the goal in front of the Rice defenders before clipping the ball off her head and into the back of the net for her first goal of the season to cut the Rice lead to 3-2.

Ten minutes later, WKU equalized off the foot of Stanley to completely erase Rice's advantage. Barnett made a long run up the right side before cutting into the box. As she drew defenders, Stanley found space in the center of the box and took a short pass from Barnett, angling a low shot into the left corner to tie the match.

Neither side was able to threaten over the final 20 minutes of regulation as WKU headed to extra time for the second straight match.

WKU's best chance at a golden goal came just over three minutes into the first frame of extra time. Mulzer brought down a corner kick from Roseland at the edge of the box, but fired over the crossbar to maintain the deadlock. Rice had a pair of chances in the final five minutes of the second overtime, but the Owls pulled both chances well wide of the goal as WKU claimed the come-from-behind 3-3 draw.

Now on a four-match unbeaten streak, WKU will head south for its final road match of the regular season as the Lady Toppers are set to battle UAB next Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. WKU sits just outside of the eighth and final spot for qualification into the C-USA Tournament following this weekend's results as the Lady Toppers look to battle their way into postseason play over their final two matches.