ECU soccer downs UNCW 4-3 in double overtime

The ECU soccer team defeated UNCW in a thrilling overtime contest 4-3 this past Sunday afternoon in a crucial match at Bunting Field.

Junior midfielder Amanda Broz scored with just under two minutes remaining in the second overtime to secure the victory for the Pirates (5-1-2). The chance came when Amanda Malkiewicz's corner kick found Broz unmarked at the back post, and her headed shot found its way across the goal line to end the slugfest.

Of the game-winner, head coach Rob Donnenwirth said after the game, "It was so close. It didn't even touch the net, it just crossed the line. But we're dangerous from set plays and [Broz] is one of those players who can get up to the ball and make a play."

Broz added, "It felt really good. It's always exciting to score a goal in overtime to win."

For those in attendance, there was plenty of excitement in a game that saw a combined 34 shots taken -- 19 of which were on target with the visiting Seahawks registering 10 and the Pirates the other 9.

"Both teams had some great chances," Donnenwirth said. "And both teams had some bad misses where you're left scratching your head. So that made for an exciting game all the way to the finish."

Bailey Wilcox started the scoring in the 13th minute with a shot that found the left goalpost and ricocheted in behind the UNCW keeper for her team-leading fifth tally of the season.

The Seahawks would answer 13 minutes later when the Pirate defense committed a foul inside the penalty area. The penalty kick was awarded immediately by the referee and Ashley Myers stepped up to convert the spot-kick off the outstretched arm of ECU keeper Berit Hansen.

For most of the remainder of the first half, the two teams traded possession freely with neither squad able to find much rhythm in their passing. ECU's forwards in particular found it difficult to make an impact on the game.

ECU's Alexis Foltz nearly changed that with only moments left in the period. The ball fell kindly to her and a nice turn at the top of the box gave her enough room to power a strike at the goal, but her effort hit off the post and out of play to end the half with the scores level.

UNCW took the lead five minutes into the second half when a cross from the left wing found Myers unmarked in the box for a tap in, her second goal of the contest that gave the Seahawks a 2-1 lead.

The Pirates responded four minutes later when Jessica Woodward powered a perfectly struck free kick from 25 yards out past the UNCW keeper for the equalizer.

ECU kept the pressure on and was rewarded in the 64th minute when Malkiewicz got to a loose ball in front of the Seahawk goal and, one on one with the goalie, her shot found the back of the net for her third goal of the season to give the Pirates a 3-2 advantage.

That lead was short-lived for the Pirates when just two minutes later the Seahawks' Jenna Evens scored unassisted off the hands of the diving Hansen. That equalizer sent the game into overtime and set the stage for Broz's thrilling match-winner.

"I'm proud of our players for the job they did coming back both times," Donnenwirth said. "To tie it and go ahead after going down 2-1 took a lot of effort. Of course you don't like to give up that lead, but we came out with the win and that's what matters. We have some things to work on with conference play starting and we'll just have to keep getting better."

Conference USA play starts this weekend with the Pirates hosting Rice on Friday at 4 p.m. and then Houston on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m.

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.