SILOAM SPRINGS -- Knotted at one goal apiece with the clock winding down, an unfortunate bounce kept a corner kick in play, and the visiting Drovers headed home the game-winner with just 27 seconds left in the contest as the No. 17 John Brown University women's soccer squad fell 2-1 on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 8) to No. 25 Science & Arts (Okla.) at Alumni Field.
In a match where John Brown (7-4-0, 3-1-0 Sooner Athletic) largely controlled possession and out-shot the visiting side, 16-11, the Drovers (9-1-1, 4-0-0) made it count by placing seven of its 11 shot attempts on target, while the Golden Eagles managed landing just five of its 16 attempts.
With a well-fought draw seemingly in the cards, USAO slow-walked a corner kick in the final minute of play – its ninth of the match – and Alicia Rey finally let go the service with 30 seconds left that was destined for the back post, with no Drover within reach.
An unfortunate clearing attempt by the John Brown defense inadvertently returned the ball back into the middle of play just yards from the goal line, where Avery Walker headed in her second of the match with just 27 ticks left on the clock.
Walker and the Drovers opened the scoring in the 30th minute when she ripped to the far left corner a shot from 15 yards out on the right side off a Rey feed through the back line. JBU needed just five minutes to level the match, however, when junior Lauren Walter netted her Sooner Athletic-leading 10th strike of the season.
Walter received a pass upfield on the left flank, burned around a defender and carried to goal before take a low, hard shot to the near left post, besting Caitlin Bishop for the 1-1 score.
Neither team, despite spreading out 27 shot attempts, were able to score again until Walker's match-winner in the final minute of the afternoon.
Senior Chloe Griffin made five saves on seven opportunities, falling to 7-3-0 on the year. Bishop finished the match with four saves on the five John Brown shots on target.
The Golden Eagles will now rest for a week until it returns to action on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15) when John Brown welcomes Oklahoma City to Alumni Field for a 1 p.m. kick off. The matchup will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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