FAIRFAX, Va. – Richmond scored in double-overtime with just over 40 seconds left on the clock to defeat the George Mason women's soccer team 2-1 Saturday night at George Mason Stadium.
Richmond snapped Mason's three-game win streak with the victory as the Patriots dipped to 6-8-1 overall and 3-2 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. Richmond picked up its second conference victory of the season with the triumph, improving to 5-7-2 and 2-2 in the A-10.
The teams stood scoreless after 45 minutes of action as only three shots on goal were recorded in the first half. Richmond scored the first goal of the contest in the 51st minute of play as Kaleigh Kurtz setup a corner kick from the far side to find Darian Podmajersky at the far post. Podmajersky put the header into the lower far corner for the 1-0 advantage.
With her team-leading fourth goal of the season, Emma Starr scored the equalizer 22 minutes later on a blast from 35-yards out in the 83rd minute. Brenna Connell, carrying the ball down the near side, crossed it from the near corner back to Starr who blasted a shot to the top of the net that escaped the hands of goalkeeper Emily Kelly as the teams stood tied at 1-1.
Playing a man down from the last five minutes of regulation, the Spiders looked for the game-winner rattling off three shots in a two minute period late in the second half, including a shot on goal, but Lyndse Hokanson kept the visiting team off the scoreboard to end regulation play.
Richmond posted four shots in the first overtime period as Hokanson scooped up two attempts to force the final overtime period. Richmond broke through with the game-winner at the 109:19 mark as Erin Layne served the ball from the far side to find Shannon Colligan at the near post. Colligan slipped it past a diving Hokanson to lead the Spiders past Mason, 2-1.
For the contest, Richmond outshot Mason 22-11 and put 11 shots on goal to Mason's four. Richmond won the corner advantage, 7-1. Hokanson recorded a season-high nine saves in the contest. Starr led the Patriots with four shots.
“Tonight was a hard lesson in A-10 play,” said head coach Diane Drake. “Any team can win on any given day. We didn't condense well from the back third and spent much of the game too many yards off our marks because we were stretched. The good news is we got stronger as the game went on but couldn't hold on for a draw. This was the first time in a decade we have had to play a man down and it was challenging. I am pleased with the way we handled it.”
Mason returns to action with Senior Night on Friday, October 25 welcoming George Washington at 7 p.m. in a Revolutionary Rivalry series event.
