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University of Louisville
PITTSBURGH
Craft Delivers Double OT Winner in Thursday Thriller
October 26, 2006 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 26, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Senior Jamie Craft drilled the game winner just under the crossbar from 35 yards out in the second overtime to give the 25th-ranked University of Louisville women's soccer team a 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh in the first round of the BIG EAST Championships on a rainy and cold Thursday night at Frazier Cardinal Park.
The fourth-seeded Cardinals (13-4-1), who have now established a new school record for single season wins with 13, will travel to Morgantown, West Virginia to face the top seeded and sixth-ranked Mountaineers on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET in a BIG EAST Championship Quarterfinal.
U of L opened the 2006 season with a 4-2 win at WVU in an exhibition match on August 16.
"We got what we expected in a BIG EAST Championship game," said Head Coach Karen Ferguson, who spent seven seasons at UConn in the conference as a player and a assistant coach.
"You have to credit Pitt, it was the emotion, excitement and energy we anticipated."
The teams went into the break scoreless, with Louisville outshooting Pitt 8-5. Panther keeper Alison Finch made five saves in the first half.
Senior Heather Engel played a short corner into a shot from outside the 18 that was stopped by Finch in the early going.
Monique Gjini was turned away minutes later.
Pitt responded with a pair of shots on net that were stopped by Cardinal keeper Joanna Haig.
The teams combined for five shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of action.
Craft and Lindsey Fox tested Finch in the early minutes of the second half, but the freshman netminder was up to the task.
The Panthers pressured the Cardinals in the final five minutes of regulation on three different set pieces, the third of which resulted in a break for the Cards.
Pitt's Jennifer Kritch served a corner into the box that was sent upfield to Craft, who made a length of the field sprint, beating a defender and working in on Finch 1v1.
With five seconds remaining in regulation, Craft just skimmed the outside of the far post, sending the game into overtime.
U of L outshot Pitt 9-3 in the second half.
Lindsay Boling circled a loose ball well outside the 18 and let loose a shot that glanced off the crossbar in the 99th minute.
In the 107th minute, Engel worked the ball up to junior Jen Avila, who one-touched it to Craft. The senior from Owings, Maryland then dribbled in and blasted her fifth game winner of the season.
"I was glad to see Jamie get the game winner, as she was upset to miss by inches on the breakaway at the end of regulation," Ferguson added.
" The senior class wanted this win and made it happen."
The Cardinals held a 21-8 shot advantage, outshooting Pitt 4-0 in OT.
Haig finished with three saves, and foiled other Panther chances with aggressive play in the box for her sixth shutout of the season.
The Cardinals now have nine shutouts as a team.
Craft had eight shots to lead the team, while Gjini added four and Engel three.
Senior back Amy Seng started her 75th career match, tying Harper Mance ('95-98) for the most in Cardinal history.
Craft now has 42 career goals and 99 career points, second to U of L Athletic Hall of Famer Jennifer Coe in both categories (50 & 113).
Louisville improves to 4-0-1 on the season in overtime games. The Cards have played seven consecutive 1-0 games, posting a 4-3-0 record.
