The Gophers women’s soccer team played into overtime twice on the road this past weekend, defeating Marquette University in the first overtime Fridayand tying with Texas Tech after two overtimes Sunday.
Minnesota (3-1-2) beat the Golden Eagles 2-1 Friday on a game-winning goal in the 94th minute by senior defender Haley Helverson.
“It’s amazing; it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Helverson said. “Going against a team that’s getting top 25 votes and getting a win in overtime is just
unbelievable.”
The Gophers scored first in the 17th minute when freshman forward April Bockin beat the Marquette goalkeeper to the post after receiving a pass from sophomore defender
Maddie Gaffney. The goal was Bockin’s first in her collegiate career.
“It was super exciting. I just saw an opening, and I knew I could finish it,” Bockin said. “I was overcome with excitement after I scored.”
Gophers head coach Stefanie Golan said she was pleased with Bockin’s performance.
“April is a goal-scorer, and I thought she played particularly well tonight,” Golan said. “For her to do that against a team like this is just going to build her confidence moving forward.”
Minnesota then held the Golden Eagles scoreless until the 79th minute of the game, when Marquette redshirt sophomore Molly Pfeiffer headed the ball into the net after an assist from redshirt senior Jacie Jermier.
In an evenly matched game, Bockin credited the Gophers ability to finish when needed as key in the win.
“This week we worked a lot on attacking,” Bockin said. “We had a couple more opportunities that we should have finished, but when we needed to, we did finish them.”
Golan said she was proud of the team for adjusting their play as the match went on.
“In the second half … they made it very, very difficult for us to possess the ball through the midfield, which is what we like to do,” Golan said. “We had to make a couple of adjustments, and we made those. I thought it was an awesome effort.”
Another evenly matched game Sunday night against No. 21 Texas Tech went into a second overtime, before ending in a scoreless tie.
Despite traveling across the country Saturday from Milwaukee, Wis., to Lubbock, Texas, after an overtime game, Minnesota had enough legs left to play for another 110
minutes.
Junior goalkeeper Tarah Hobbs kept her team in the game with 10 saves. In the opposite net Red Raiders junior goalkeeper Lauren Watson recorded six.
Offensively, a pair of freshmen led the attack for Minnesota. Bockin recorded two shots on goal while freshman midfielder Molly Fielder had three shots in the game.
Junior captain and forward Simone Kolander also had a standout game with three shots, including one on goal.
Golan said she expected a challenge against the Red Raiders heading into the game Sunday.
“Texas Tech is a really tough environment to play in,” Golan said Friday night. “[Texas Tech head coach Tom Stone] does a great job down there with his team, and it’s going to be a tough game.”
