BU Slips Past Dartmouth in Overtime Battle, 2-1

Thursday, September 24

Boston, Mass.

7:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

at Boston University

BU Slips Past Dartmouth in Overtime Battle, 2-1

9/24/2009 10:45:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

Boston, Mass. - The Dartmouth women's soccer team dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime battle at rival Boston University tonight.

It marked the sixth time in the last seven years that Dartmouth (3-4) and BU (4-4-2) have played to overtime and the Terriers' win snapped a four-game Big Green unbeaten streak in the series.

It didn't take long in overtime for Boston to net the winner as Mara Osher sent a beautiful cross in for Emily Pallotta, who scored off a close-range header in the 93^rd minute.

For the game, Boston held a 9-6 shot advantage, but Dartmouth put five of its shots on goal including four in the second half. Dartmouth held a 1-0 lead at halftime before early BU pressure in the second half finally resulted in a goal in the 60^th minute to tie it up. The Big Green battled back and held the advantage in the final 20 minutes of regulation, but the Terriers held on to force overtime.

It was a midfield battle in the early goings before Boston had the first real dangerous look of the game. Taleen Dimirdjan got a boot on a free kick that was sent into the box, but defender Sarah Bromley (La Jolla, Calif.) blocked it at the goalmouth.

Sophomore striker Aly O'Dea (Irvine, Calif.) scored Dartmouth's line goal in the 27^th minute. After a scramble in front of the goal, senior Myra Sack (Wynnewood, Pa.) turned and popped the ball out to O'Dea. She turned and fired to the top left for the 1-0 Dartmouth lead.

Boston responded with a dangerous cross across the box that came dangerously close to the far corner, but goalkeeper Colleen Hogan (Houston, Texas) punched it out of harms way. The Terriers kept at it and Farrell McClernon made a great run in the 35^th minute, weaving her way through the Dartmouth backline before firing point blank but Hogan was there for the save.

Dartmouth had a dangerous corner in 42^nd minute, with the BU goalie lost amidst the Big Green in the box, but Dartmouth was unable to get a head on the ball

Sophomore Erin Fleischli (San Mateo, Calif.) made a great tackle to help preserve the shutout in the 44^th minute when BU had numbers charging the box. After Dartmouth cleared the ball, the Terriers attacked again but Ali Hubbard (Marshfield, Mass.) blocked the shot to keep BU at bay with a 1-0 lead at the half.

BU came out hard in the second half, and it paid off after a scrambling play off a corner in the 60^th minute. The ball came into the box and a shot by Corie Halasz was blocked but went back out to Shauna Kelleher, who headed a looper back towards the goal. The Dartmouth defense tried to clear the ball but it took a funny angle and went into the goalmouth where Hogan had little chance to snag it and the game was tied 1-1.

That seemed to energize the Dartmouth women, who regrouped and had a series of great looks in a solid final 30 minutes. O'Dea nearly got the winner on two occasions late, once off a last ditch shot from 30 out in the 74^th minute. The ball appeared to be heading high but it looped towards the goal and keeper Jane Reilly jumped the punch it out. On the ensuing corner kick, the Big Green had another good look when Bromley's shot was saved, but the goalie bobbled it. While O'Dea wrangled the rebound with Reilly on the ground, the Terriers' defense had just enough time to regroup and somehow block her point blank shot on the goalline.

The Big Green played strong in the final 20 minutes, keeping the Terriers on their heels. Boston held off the Big Green down the stretch and sent it to overtime before getting the winner just three minutes in.

Dartmouth has a quick turnaround before heading to Brown for its Ivy opener on Sunday at 1 p.m.