MOBILE, Ala. – Sophomore Kory Dixon scored in the 105th minute to give the University of South Alabama soccer team a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Appalachian State Friday night at The Cage.
The Jaguars (3-4-1, 1-0) – unbeaten in their last four games – got a goal from senior Danielle Henley with 1:33 left to send the game into extra time.
GAME FACTS
-The Mountaineers (1-6-2, 0-1) got on the board at 12:16 after Kat Greer lofted her shot from the left wing over the USA goalkeepers' head
-The shots through the first 43 minutes of the second half were 5-5, but only a shot from USA freshman Anita Agustsdottir through traffic in the 53rd minute managed to hit the target
-Henley almost tied it up at 88:14, but her shot from the left wing was cleared off the line by an Mountaineer defender
-Just 13 seconds later, Henley was open in the same spot again but buried it – Agustsdottir's cross was flicked on by senior Rio Hardy right to Henley
-Senior Tiina Trutsi almost won it with 28 seconds left in regulation, but her attempt was stopped by App State's Taylor Ray
-The teams combined for just one shot in the first extra period
-Hardy fought off her defender for a close shot early in the second overtime but it was kept out by Ray
-Ray made a diving stop on a shot from Henley less than a minute later to maintain the tie
-Following Appalachian State's clearance of a corner kick, Agustsdottir sent a high ball into the Jags final third that was deflected off the head of a Mountaineer defender right to Dixon who converted the one-on-one chance for her first goal of the season
NOTES
-South Alabama starts 1-0 in Sun Belt for the fourth straight year and is unbeaten in its last five league openers
-The Jaguars lead the series with the Mountaineers 4-1-1 and are 2-0 at home
-Dixon's only other career goal came last season vs. Coastal Carolina in the home finale
-USA has outshot five of its last six opponents after holding a 17-12 edge tonight, including 11-4 on goal
-Agustsdottir's assist is the first of her career
-Hardy's assist pulls her even with Trutsi for the team lead in points with seven
-Henley has scored a goal in each of her last two outings
-South Alabama last played in back-to-back double overtime games at the start of the 2016 season
-The Jaguars are 30-5-2 in Sun Belt play in the last five seasons
-Greer's goal ended a streak of five straight games of South Alabama scoring first
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
Overall thoughts on the game: "That was fantastic. I think good teams play bad and they can lose, and great teams can play bad and they always find a way to win. I think we found a way to win tonight. That's a sign of having a great team. Appalachian State did fantastic, scored early and held on to it, and made it difficult for us. We got a little break there at the end and Kory Dixon got on the scoresheet. We were actually getting ready to bring her off. It was a great finish from her."
On the sense of urgency late in regulation: "At halftime we told them don't wait until the last minute to do something, and sure enough they wait until the last minute. Again, great teams find a way to win. If you're going to be a contender in this conference, you have to win at home. That's two games back-to-back that we've been in extra time, so for them to have the legs and go into double overtime again, speaks volumes, because it's the same 15 girls rotating in and out."
On the action late in the game: "I don't know if their goalkeeper will make two saves like that again in her life – that's a phenomenal save and she really kept them in the game. I'm glad we kept putting the pressure on them. Danielle, as soon as she got that goal, she was flying. If we can get her switched on at the start of the game and get her on the ball a bit more, she's deadly."
On what this game could mean: "It's one of these moments that can make or break you as a team. You're at home in your first game in the conference, you're losing, you get the goal to come back, and when you get the winner, it's so important. You see the girls and how much it means to them. That's what you need. I hope we can build on it now. Every game means everything to us, as a coaching staff and a program, because we want to represent the university well."
UP NEXT
The Jaguars continue their three-match homestand Sunday against Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90
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