Box Score SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 18, 2014) – It's been a difficult season, but the Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles still have plenty of fight left in them.
After falling behind St. Mary's (Texas) by two goals during the first 27 minutes on Saturday, OC kept up the pressure the rest of the way, twice pulling within a goal before eventually falling 4-2 to the Rattlers in a soccer game that featured three goals in the final six minutes.
St. Mary's (8-5, 4-1 Heartland Conference) needed a hat trick by Kaitie Kasperitis – with the last goal coming on an 88th-minute penalty kick – to hold off OC (0-12-1, 0-3).
The Rattlers outshot OC 31-14, but OC goalkeeper
Lindsey Williams recorded 10 saves – her fourth double-digit save outing of the season – and her teammates stopped four St. Mary's shots in the penalty box to keep the Lady Eagles close.
"Great effort from our team in the second half," OC coach
Randall Robison said. "That is the fight, battle and quality we know they have in them. We created a number of solid opportunities to score in the second half. The lesson to learn is not waiting for the 46th minute to start competing. We need to bring the effort of the second half throughout Monday's game to get a result."
Kasperitis, the Rattlers' leading career scorer with 35 goals, scored on a header off an assist from Amy Adams in the 13th minute, after Williams had been drawn off her goal line. Williams deflected a shot by Karly Moe in the 27th minute, but Moe was able to tap in the rebound to put St. Mary's up 2-0.
OC's rally began in the 51st minute, when
Madeline Roseke took a pass from
Katie Wertz and caught St. Mary's goalkeeper Alyssa Taramona far out of the goal. Roseke, a freshman, sent a shot over Taramona into the upper half of the net for her second goal of the season.
The Lady Eagles threatened to tie on several occasions before Kasperitis' second goal. In the 84th minute, Kasperitis put in a rebound from five yards out after a shot by Katy Primeaux had been stopped.
Less than 30 seconds later, in the 85th minute, OC sophomore
Sophia Brazil pulled the Lady Eagles within 3-2, bouncing in a shot while in a crowded penalty box. But an OC foul in its own penalty box resulted in the late penalty kick, which Kasperitis converted to complete her third career hat trick.
Taramona finished with five saves for the Rattlers.
The Lady Eagles will return to action Monday at Heartland rival Texas A&M International.