TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Freshman
Libby Helverson (West Des Moines, Iowa) scored a golden goal in the 95
th minute for the Drake University women's soccer team in a 3-2 comeback victory at Indiana State in Missouri Valley Conference action Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
"This went from a frustrating game in the first half to an extremely frustrating game when we were getting chances, but their goalkeeper made a great save, then we hit the post and conceded the second goal," said head coach
Lindsey Horner. "In that moment it very well could have been a time our players decided it's just not our day and to pack it in. But Elaine (Gorom), Shannon (Steurer), Linda (Fiorito) and Sam (Nosler) wouldn't allow that and absolutely kept us alive to start the comeback when we had pushed numbers forward and left them exposed in transition. Kelsie (Stone) made a critical save to give us hope and keep the game within reach."
Drake (7-8-1, 4-1-1 MVC) fell behind 2-0 after Indiana State (6-8-3, 0-5-1 MVC) goals by Katie Wells (27:42) and Alina Steffen (62:11). Sophomore
Olivia Bruce (Lakeville, Minn.) scored the Bulldogs' first goal in the 77
th minute followed by senior
Shannon Steurer (Ballwin, Mo.) who netted the equalizer in the 84
th minute and force overtime. Bruce hit the post in the 65
th minute and Stone later made back-to-back clutch saves to keep Indiana State off the scoreboard again and keep the match in reach.
Helverson's first career goal came after junior
Shelley Lyjak's (Bartlett, Ill.) took a shot and the Sycamores' goalkeeper, Hannah Sullivan, was unable to hold onto the ball. Helverson was in the right spot as she tapped it in for the game-winner for Drake, which kept its MVC regular season title hopes alive.
Bruce's team-leading fourth goal of the season came after an indirect free kick by senior
Alyssa Brand (Skokie, Ill.), awarded after Sullivan picked up a pass back from a field player. Sophomore
Sam Nosler (Westfield, Ind.) rolled the ball to Brand who smashed it as Sullivan pushed it off the crossbar and Bruce rushed in and blasted the ball in off the rebound.
Steurer evened the contest in the 84
th minute with her first career goal as a Bulldog. Drake was awarded a corner kick that was delivered in by sophomore
Hannah Bormann (Amana, Iowa). Steurer put a foot on it but the ball went to Lyjak who sent a cross back to Steurer, who volleyed it in the back of the net.
"I'm really proud of our players for believing in each other and putting in the work until the very end," Horner said. "This is a hard place to play a midday game. The stadium is huge, there is no real buzz when you're not under the lights, so it's worth noting that Liza (Van Zyl) led our bench into creating our own energy. It's easy to be positive and lead your teammates when things are going well, so I'm so pleased that we had three seniors in the back (Elaine, Linda and Shannon) that wouldn't quit and another in Alyssa who fought for a goal and ultimately that there was enough trust within the group to mount that sort of a comeback when we haven't scored three goals in a game all year. I think how a team performs in overtime says a lot about the group. Thursday should be a great game with both teams having a lot to play for."
The Bulldogs can repeat as MVC Regular Season champions if they defeat Missouri State in the regular season finale Thursday, Oct. 25 at Cownie, and first-place Loyola (8-6-1, 5-1-0 MVC) loses to Evansville that same day. Drake is guaranteed a top-three seed in the MVC Championship that starts Oct. 28 as the team currently sits in second place in front of third-place Illinois State (9-7-2, 4-2-0 MVC), which ends the season Thursday against fourth-place UNI (8-7-2, 3-3-0 MVC). A Bulldogs' victory over Missouri State assures the team of a top-two seed while a Redbirds' loss to UNI does the same. If Missouri State and Drake tie and Illinois State and UNI tie, the Bulldogs would be the second seed. A top two seed earns a bye into the MVC Semifinals, Nov. 2, in Chicago, Ill., hosted by Loyola.
