HOUSTON - Sunday's match between Abilene Christian and Houston Baptist women's soccer ended in gut-wrenching fashion for the Wildcats as a foul called in overtime directly led to Rebekah Tovar's game-winning penalty kick in the 96th minute.
The foul was called after a skirmish broke out inside the six-yard box following the Huskies' (2-5-1, 1-0 SLC) fourth corner kick of the extra session.
Tovar was chosen to take the penalty kick and rifled the ball past sophomore goalkeeper
Kelsey Dombrowski for her first goal of the season and a 1-0 HBU victory. As for
Dombrowski, she was pitching a well-earned shutout up until that point complete with 10 saves on 20 shots faced.
ACU had only one shot in overtime - an attempt by freshman
Baylee Mitchell - that sailed wide, but placed six of their nine shots on goal during regulation.
HBU goalkeeper Patty Walrath saved two shots during a nine-second window in the first half on shots taken by Mitchell and senior
Tiffany Ysassi, and in the second half she stopped attempts by
Chantal Kinsey,
Chloe Fifer and
Maria Gomez.
ACU's final shot in regulation was taken by
Natalie Throneberry with 93 seconds remaining, but it went wide of the goal. HBU then had its last attempt (by Allison Abendschein) ricochet off the crossbar with 58 seconds to go. Abendschein led all players with six shots, while Mitchell and
Taylor Brown led the Wildcats with two.
The Huskies went on to control possession in overtime, recording four shots and four corners prior to their match-ending PK.
Sunday's match was contested at the Awty International School in Houston because heavy rains rendered HBU's home pitch unplayable.
The Wildcats (4-6-0, 1-1 SLC) return home to Abilene this weekend for matches at Shotwell Stadium vs. Nicholls (Friday at 12 p.m.) and Southeastern Louisiana (Sunday at 1:30 p.m.). Admission is free.
