“We’re thrilled and we’re so happy that we were able to tuck away the win,” said head coach Julie Woodward. “Before the game, I told the team that I thought it was going to be a pretty evenly matched game and that, at the end of the day, it’d be a battle of wills. I’m super happy with our overtime performance because I think, at that point in the game, it’s not really about tactical moves, it’s just a matter of grinding it out. I’m super happy with the team and super happy Natasha [Howe] got a great goal in just her third collegiate game played. So I’m just super happy with the team and happy with the win.”
After nearly 30 scoreless minutes, Stephanie Verdoia (Salt Lake City, Utah) drove the ball towards the goal and was pulled down by Boise State keeper Maddy McDevitt, resulting in a penalty kick.
Julia Besagno (Maple Valley, Wash.) took the penalty kick, which was good, resulting in a 1-0 lead for the Redhawks, a lead they took into the halftime break.
In the 55th minute, Shannon Schueren, assisted by Ashley Hruby, drove the ball in for her first goal of the season to tie the game, 1-1.
A back-and-forth contest for the remainder of regulation, the match went into overtime. Boise State made three unsuccessful shots in the first half of the overtime period, but in the 99th minute, Howe broke through the Boise State defenders to score her first collegiate goal, the golden goal.
“It was really exciting, because it was overtime and we were all really tired,” said Howe. “I was glad I could get it in and help the team out. It’s really exciting to get that first one and hopefully it’ll just go up from here.”
Kat Prati (Moorpark, Calif.) led SU with three shots, two on goal. Three different Broncos recorded a team-high two shots. Despite their loss, Boise State outshot Seattle U, 12-10 as a team.
In goal, Brianna Smallidge (Port Orchard, Wash.) earned the win, making three saves, while Boise State’s Maddy McDevitt was handed the loss, making five saves.
Seattle U will have a break from competition for the remainder of the Labor Day weekend before taking a trip to the East Coast, facing Butler on Friday, Sept. 6 and Purdue on Sunday, Sept. 8. The Redhawks will return to Seattle for a match at Washington on Friday, Sept. 13 and their next home match on Friday, Sept. 20 vs. Grand Canyon to open WAC play.