The MSU women’s soccer team had never lost a home game or gone into overtime at any point during the season.
After hosting South Dakota State on Sunday, only half of that statement still holds true.
Spartans tie Jackrabbits 1-1
From left, junior forward Lauren Hill, sophomore midfielder Kelsey Tait, South Dakota State defender Kelly Larson and South Dakota midfielder Chelsea Goosen leap to head the ball in the first half Sunday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field.
The Spartans defended their home turf against the Jackrabbits, keeping alive their unbeaten streak at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field. However, MSU didn’t pick up a victory either, tying South Dakota State 1-1 after 110 minutes of play and moving its home record to 9-0-1.
Forwards Lauren Hill and Laura Heyboer both missed numerous potential game-winners in both 10-minute overtime periods that would have put the Spartans (13-5-1 overall) ahead, as they continued to try and set each other up deep in the box.
But the ball never beat the goalkeeper.
“We just told each other to keep composed and keep firing at the net,” said Hill, who has 32 points on the year. “The more chances we get, the more opportunities we have to score. We’ll continue to do that.”
Just 12:27 into the game, Kayla Braffet put the Jackrabbits (12-4-1) ahead 1-0 by beating freshman goalkeeper Jill Fliestra inside the box.
But Hill put MSU right back in it with a game-tying goal by juking the Jackrabbits’ goalkeeper after Heyboer found her for the assist with 9:49 to play in the half. The play marked Hill’s 12th goal and Heyboer’s ninth assist of the season.
MSU head coach Tom Saxton despises ties, but had to credit his players for their resilience.
“From the second half on I thought we pressed the pace; we created a lot of really good chances, but it was just one of those things that you see in soccer where it just can’t go in,” the 18th-year coach said. “We did more than enough and we should have got rewarded.”
Fliestra said playing in the overtime game will only help the Spartans in the future because they’ll know not to get so nervous, but instead to relax and play the same type of soccer they have all season.
“They kept us on our toes the whole game,” she said.
“We got a little anxious towards the end. We had a couple chances and we just couldn’t finish, but we had a lot of guts out there. We couldn’t get the win, but we played hard.”
MSU finishes off the regular season against Michigan at 3 p.m. Friday.
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“We’re going full-force and next week we’re going to give everything we have to continue this legacy at DeMartin Stadium,” Hill said.
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