Zias prevail in double OT

For more than 100 minutes on Friday, the only goal the Eastern New Mexico University women's soccer team managed was an admittedly lucky bounce.

Their second goal, though, was a thing of beauty as sophomore defender Victoria Perez headed a pass to midfielder Danielle Thurman, who slipped a shot into the right corner of the net midway through the second overtime to give the Zias a 2-1 Lone Star Conference win over Midwestern State on Friday at the ENMU pitch.

CMI staff photo: Joshua Lucero

ENMU sophomore Victoria Perez crosses a pass as Midwestern State's Morgan Hannon trails of the play in first half of the Friday's match at the ENMU soccer field.

ENMU (5-7-0, 4-4-0 LSC) helped its position in the jumbled LSC race where everyone has won at least one match and lost at least two. The Mustangs (2-3-3, 2-7-3), who played their fourth consecutive double-overtime and fifth overall in conference play, were also in the mix.

By completing a season sweep of MSU, the Zias have given themselves a potential tiebreaker. Six of the eight teams will advance to the conference tournament in November.

ENMU struck late in the first half when Perez lofted the ball toward the goal from about 40 yards out, apparently trying to get it to a teammate in front. Instead, it took a kangaroo hop over MSU goalkeeper Mallory Whitworth and bounced into the net.

"I've never seen the ball bounce like that on this field," Zias coach Todd Padgett said. "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."

The Mustangs, who have just eight goals this season and haven't scored more than one in any match, tied it with about 15 minutes left when freshman Ashley Cottrell spun toward the goal from the right side of the box, flipped the ball toward the net and scored when ENMU keeper Xan Ortiz couldn't control it.

"We played very well for the last 25 minutes of the first half," Padgett said. "They made some adjustments (at halftime), and we had trouble with that. We didn't make the adjustments we needed to."

Midway through the second OT, off a free kick by freshman Renee Romero, the ball went to Perez on the left side. She found Thurman in front, and her sliding shot beat Whitworth.

"It was back and fourth," said Thurman, a senior from Albuquerque who has now scored five of ENMU's 10 goals this season. "You never know what the result can be (in the LSC). It's whoever shows up to play, I guess."

Both teams had four shots on goal, but the Mustangs owned an 8-3 edge in corner kicks — five coming in the second half when they kept the pressure on most of the way.

Thurman said the Zias have to follow it up with a win on Sunday against last-place Abilene Christian (3-7-1, 1-5-1), which lost 2-0 at WT on Friday but earned its only LSC win over the Zias at home last month.

"We need a win on Sunday before we have three hard road games," Thurman said. "If we come out of this weekend with a bunch of confidence, hopefully we can pick up some wins on the road."