HOUSTON – With just one second remaining on the clock in the first overtime, senior
Avery Cortez came up with the game-winning golden goal off a quick corner kick to earn a 2-1 Southland Conference victory over UIW at Caress Stadium.
Right off the bat in the first minute, HBU (2-7-3, 2-2-2 SLC) junior
Ryan Ford had a shot deflected off the crossbar by UIW (2-9-1, 2-4-0 SLC) goalkeeper Margaret Kofron. A little more than seven minutes later,
Avery Cortez sent a through ball to
Noor Abukishk who chased it down to the goal line and a perfect cross into the box found
Ryan Ford in front of goal for her second goal of the season and a 1-0 HBU lead less than eight minutes in.
UIW's Keeley Ayala tested HBU goalkeeper
Karla Ramirez later in the half with a pair of shots on goal less than three minutes apart but Ramirez was able to hold the Huskies' lead. A UIW corner kick in the 30
th minute resulted in the equalizer for the Cardinals with Payton Adams scoring the goal with an assist from Andrea Reyes. Both teams managed a pair of shots over the final 14 minutes of the half but were unable to put them on target.
In the second half, both goalkeepers tested throughout and coming up with big saves to maintain the tie. Ramirez recorded six saves in the second half while Kofron came up with four. Ford nearly ended the game in the first overtime in the 96
th minute, with a shot from near the corner of the 18-yard box being deflected off the crossbar. The Huskies earned a corner kick with around 20 seconds left in the overtime period, hurrying down field and into the box with Ford setting up for a quick kick. Her corner came down in the box off the foot of
Bryce Reynolds to Cortez who snuck the ball past Kofron just before the horn for the game-winner.
Ramirez recorded eight saves for the second game in a row in earning the win and is now third in the conference with 6.83 saves per game in SLC play. Ford now has two goals and five assists on the season with all of those coming the last four matches. She is second in the league in conference play with nine points. Cortez now has three goals and two assists for the year.
UIW held a slim 22-21 advantage in shots with nine of those on goal to HBU's eight. Both teams earned four corners.
Earning three points with the win, the Huskies now stand tied for fourth place in the conference.
The Huskies begin second half of the SLC schedule this Thursday, Oct. 7, at Sorrels Field with a start time of 7:00 p.m. HBU will then travel to San Antonio, Texas for another meeting with UIW at 1:00 p.m.
