Senior Annie Wayland scored the lone Redbird goal with 1:02 left in regulation to tie the game at 1-1, versus Illinois, Sunday at Adelaide Street Field.
The Fighting Illini took 17 shots in the first half, but it was a single shot by Christen Karniski at the 40:59 mark that got past Redbird goalkeeper Allison Farrington and reached the back of the net. Illinois led at the half, 1-0.
The Redbirds remained scoreless until Michelle Brumbaugh passed to Wayland, whose goal tied the game at
1-1.
It was a great feeling, said Wayland. This just kind of shows how our season has been. The goal at the end of the game almost signifies the determination and heart that the team has shown all year.
In the first overtime, Illinois outshot Illinois State 3-0, but no goals were scored, sending the game into double overtime. Again, the Illini outshot the Redbirds 5-1, but when the final buzzer went off, the game ended in a tie.
Head coach Pete Kowall commented that the mentality of the team speaks for itself.
The team showed a lot of heart today, said Kowall. It was good that we scored at the end of regulation, but it was also good to see the team play without some key players like Melissa (Colthrust), Dana (Schulte), and Joyce (Kleinheinz), who are out with injuries.
We did another great job on defense, and while they took as many shots as they did (36), we did not allow them many quality shots, added Kowall.
Despite the the 36 shots taken by Illinois, Farrington recorded 14 saves.
The Redbirds, 11-3-2 overall, will finish their regular season play on Friday, as they travel to Madison, Wisc., to take on the Badgers.
