Stanley Nets First Career Goal in 1-1 Draw Against Lipscomb

Friday, August 31

Bowling Green, Ky.

6 P.M. CT

Western Kentucky University

1-2-2

Lipscomb

2-1-2

OT 1

OT 2

Lipscomb

WKU

8/31/2018 9:43:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Freshman Olivia Stanley scored the first goal of her collegiate career just before halftime, but Lipscomb rebounded with a second-half goal as WKU battled to a 1-1 draw against the Bisons on Friday evening at the WKU Soccer Complex.

WKU (1-2-2) held a halftime lead for the second straight match but was unable to put away the Bisons, as Lipscomb (2-1-2) got on the board with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. The Lady Toppers held a sizable 21-11 advantage in shots, while Lipscomb took five corner kicks to WKU's four on the night.

Both Stanley and Victoria Mayo tallied their first points of the 2018 season, with Mayo's deflected shot setting up Stanley's go-ahead score in the 42nd minute. Sarah Gorham led all players with five shots, including three on goal, while Stanley chipped in four shots of her own in only 33 minutes of action off the bench.

Gorham, Kaylyn Bryant, Christina Bragado and Nicole Roseland each played the full 110 minutes for the Lady Toppers in the field, and Avery Jacobsen subbed out for just one minute at the end of the opening half. In goal, Bailee Witt played the full match and made five saves while nearly picking up the first shutout of her young career.

For Lipscomb, Allie Dunn had a team-best three shots, and Jordan Walsh tallied the late equalizer to send the match to extra time. Kate Mason played the full match between the posts, making seven saves and allowing only Stanley's first-half goal.

Much as it did on Sunday afternoon, WKU came out shooting early and often against the Bisons, firing four shots in the opening 15 minutes of play to put pressure on the defense. Chandler Backes and Megan Morris each had shots go wide of the goal, but Roseland got power behind a shot from outside the box and forced Mason to make the save in the center of the goal in the fourth minute.

Another breakthrough nearly came at the 21:39 mark as Gorham struck the crossbar from the top of the box. The redshirt senior turned to shoot and her attempt deflected off a Lipscomb defender before striking the center of the bar and bouncing back into play to continue the attack. Chelsea Moore collected the rebound and fired a shot a few seconds later but could not find the target.

A scrum in the box with 41:19 on the clock led to WKU's go-ahead goal just before halftime. Mayo settled the ball and clashed with a Lipscomb defender, causing the ball to bounce to the foot of Stanley, and the freshman converted the chance just eight minutes after subbing on to send the Lady Toppers into the halftime break with a 1-0 advantage.

Both goalkeepers were forced into action over the first 20 minutes of the second half, with Witt stonewalling Lipscomb's Brooke Brenner and Mason making a pair of saves for the Bisons as the Lady Toppers remained out in front. Lipscomb earned a pair of corner kicks in the 66th minute on a threatening attack, but was not able to create anything out of either opportunity.

Late in the half, Witt made a pair of stops less than two minutes apart to maintain the 1-0 scoreline, but Walsh was able to collect the rebound off the second save and found the back of the net to equalize for Lipscomb with just over four minutes remaining. WKU looked to push up to find the match-winner as the clock winded down, but the two sides were forced into extra time knotted at 1-1.

Despite a 5-1 advantage in shots, three of which were put on goal in the first period of overtime, WKU was unable to find the golden goal over the extra 20 minutes of play. Backes, Morris and Gorham all had shots on goal against Mason, but the Lipscomb keeper turned away all three chances as the Lady Toppers settled for their second straight 1-1 draw.

WKU will return to the pitch on Monday evening at 6 p.m. for a Labor Day tilt against in-state opponent Kentucky Christian at the WKU Soccer Complex. The Lady Toppers have never faced Kentucky Christian in program history, and the matchup will be WKU's first regular season match against a non-Division I opponent since defeating Southern Indiana, 3-2, on Aug. 28, 2009.