Of all the goals scored by Laura Heyboer this season, Wednesday’s overtime goal was perhaps the biggest.
In the team’s last nonconference matchup of the season, the third goal of the senior forward Heyboer’s hat trick gave the MSU women’s soccer team (7-1-0) an impressive overtime victory against Detroit, 4-3. The win extends the team’s winning streak to seven games — the longest winning streak since starting the 2008 campaign with eight consecutive wins — heading into Big Ten play Sunday against Purdue.
“It was a very emotional win,” Heyboer said. “Just to get that win in overtime was huge for our team and for our confidence, knowing that we can dig deep and play all the way to the end.”
Even as rain dampened playing conditions, the Spartans knew they needed to stay sharp to avoid a trap game against Detroit. With the second-best record in the conference, the Titans lead the Horizon League in goals, assists and points in 2011.
Continuing her lightning pace, senior forward Laura Heyboer started the action early, burying a pass from junior forward Olivia Stander in the back of the net in the third minute to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. With her hat trick, Heyboer extends her team lead in the category to 11 and adds to her all-time goals scored record, set earlier in the season.
The Titans answered back in the 38th minute when midfielder Alison Suschak blistered a goal past sophomore goalkeeper Courtney Clem to even the score heading into halftime. Both teams would again score and the game carried a 2-2 score for most of the second half.
In the 84th minute, Stander notched a goal to give her team the lead with less than six minutes to play. A defensive lapse allowed the Titans to answer back off a restart kick, tying the game at three with less than a minute to play.
“Some weird things happened in our end, and it was getting to the point where I wouldn’t have been completely upset with a tie,” women’s head coach Tom Saxton said. “Our team did not come out flat today, it was a good game. Detroit’s a really good team, and we did so many good things offensively.”
After a scoreless first session of overtime, Heyboer broke away from the pack in the 106th minute and scored to give her team the win. The goal moves Heyboer into 10th all-time in the MSU single-season goals mark and allows her to take sole possession of fifth place in the Big Ten career record book for career goals.
“It felt so good (to win),” sophomore midfielder/defender Kelsey Mullen said. “I thought our team did really well today throughout the whole game. It was exciting to finally get what we’ve been working so hard for.”
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