Nelson connects on overtime winner as Patriots prevail 3-2

FLORENCE, SC – Senior midfielder Rebecca Nelson scored on a 10-yard shot 1:42 into the second overtime period to give Francis Marion University a dramatic 3-2 victory over Wofford College, Sunday afternoon (Aug. 29) in women's college soccer action.

Head coach Joel Person’s young Patriot squad captured its first win of the season (1-4-0) and now heads to 25th-ranked Duke University for a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday evening.

Wofford (2-2-0) rallied to force overtime by scoring twice in a 50-second span during the 85th and 86th minutes.

For Nelson, the winning score was only her third career goal, but two of them have been match-winners.  The winning sequence began as freshman Jordan Allen crossed the ball from the left side.  Nelson received and settled the ball, turned and fired a 10-yard shot past Wofford goalkeeper Erika Christensen at the 101:42 mark.

The Patriots owned a 1-0 advantage at halftime as junior Kiley Williams took a feed from Nelson and scored on a 15-yard shot to the left of Christensen in the 29th minute. 

The margin doubled to 2-0 when former West Florence High School standout Adrienna Osorio-McKenna scored her first career tally at 54:45.  That sequence started when Williams poked the ball out to her left where Allen quickly crossed it into the six-yard box and Osorio-McKenna charged through and one-touched the ball into the back of the net.

Heading into the 85th minute, the Patriots seemed in control – only to see the Terriers quickly rally. Sophomore Amanda Morris scored off an assist from Sydney Reed at 84:43 to narrow the gap to 2-1.  Following an FMU foul, Wofford’s Rachael Blackburn served the ball to the back post where  Reed headed the ball into the goal to knot the score at 2-2 with 4:27 remaining in regulation.

FMU’s Kelly Kady was on the receiving end of a Patriot corner kick in the final 30 seconds, but her shot from the top of the box was knocked away by a Wofford field player near the mouth of the goal.

In the first overtime period, Wofford’s Emily Bougas saw her header bounce off the crossbar in the 100th minute, and seconds later a follow-up attempt by Alex Kachulis sailed over the crossbar.

Wofford led in shots 14-11, while Francis Marion earned five of the match’s nine corner kicks.  FMU junior goalkeeper Lauren Vetock recorded seven saves, while Christensen made two saves.

The win snapped a nine-match winless streak (0-6-3) for the Patriots against Southern Conference schools that dated back to the 2006 season, and is only the second win ever for FMU against a SoCon opponent.       

Francis Marion Univ. (1-4-0) def. Wofford College (2-2-0) 3-2 in overtime
Date: Aug 29, 2010  Attendance: 112
Weather: Partly cloudy, 86 degrees

Goals by period            1  2 OT O2  Tot
-------------------------------------------
Wofford College.....   0  2   0   0 -  2
Francis Marion Univ.  1  1   0   1 -  3

SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  28:39 FMU Kiley Williams (1) (Rebecca Nelson) - Played ahead down middle, 15-yd shot to left of GK
2-0.  54:45 FMU A. Osorio-McKenna (1) (Jordan Allen;Kiley Williams) - poke out, cross, 5-yd shot from right side
2-1.  84:43 WOF Amanda Morris (1) (Sydney Reed)
2-2.  85:33 WOF Sydney Reed (1) (Rachael Blackburn) - Header off free kick from right side
3-2. 101:42 FMU Rebecca Nelson (1) (Jordan Allen) - cross from left, settle, 10-yd shot

Shots: Wofford College 14, Francis Marion Univ. 11
Saves: Wofford College 4 (Erika Christensen 2; TEAM 2), Francis Marion Univ. 7 (Lauren Vetock 7)

       Rebecca Nelson                     Jordan Allen