Mencacci Scores Golden Goal to Lift Crusaders on Friday
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's soccer team played consecutive overtime matches on this home stretch, but this time only needed 21 seconds in the first extra period to grab its first home victory of 2019 with a 1-0 score over Schreiner University. Alyssa Mencacci (League City, Texas) provided the heroics once again with her third goal in third straight game on a goal at the 91:21 minute mark.
Dallas (2-2-1) moved to .500 for the first time in a season since 2016 when started out 2-2, while the Mountaineers (3-3-2) played in their second overtime match and third in the last five games. The Crusaders are 2-0-1 in the last week.
Despite the home team dominating on shots 29-3, which included 13-0 in the first half; the scoreboard remained knotted at 0 throughout the windy evening. Dallas put 11 shots on goal and had two shots hit a post and a late effort second half shot by Elisa Duran (Pomona, Calif.) just clank off the cross bar. UD also held a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Moments into overtime Duran kicked a good ball deep into the box on the right side. Mencacci's first attempt was saved by Schreiner's Maddie Saucedo but the rebound came back to the freshman who buried it with her golden foot on the near post to end the designated non-conference meeting. These teams will meet in Kerrville, Texas, for conference play on November 3 to finish the regular season.
Mencacci and Gigi Garcia Orozco (San Antonio, Texas) tallied six shots apiece, while Duran added five. Olivia Severson (La Crosse, Wis.) picked up her second win in third straight start by notching her second shutout. Severson only faced one shot and made the save in the clean sheet.
Saucedo had 10 saves in 90:21 minutes for the Mountaineers.
Mencacci becomes the first player for the Crusaders to have scored in three consecutive matches since Alice Nelson achieved the feat during the 2014 season (Sept. 26 vs. Centenary, Oct. 3 vs. Schreiner, Oct. 5 vs. Texas Lutheran).
SOCIAL MEDIA
#UDCRUSADERS WIN! MENCACCI DOES IT AGAIN! 3 goals in 3 straight games helps lift home team in OT on Friday!#WeAreUD #d3soc #UDallas pic.twitter.com/gDrmgrshdJ
— UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports) September 21, 2019
UP NEXT
Dallas begins a five-game road stretch on Sunday at Concordia University. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.