Yellowjackets 3, Crown 2 (OT)

SUPERIOR, Wis.: Many in attendance at the Yellowjacket women's soccer match figured a goal scored with just 4:52 to play in the second half would be enough to give the Yellowjackets the win, and three important points in the U.M.A.C. standings.

First the bad news - that goal did not stand up as the game-winning marker for the Yellowjackets.

Now the good news - there was a game-winning goal, and it did go to the Yellowjackets. Annah Schussman (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) scored her second goal of the match with 56 seconds remaining in overtime as the Yellowjackets downed Crown 3-2.

The win vaulted the Yellowjackets over three teams in the conference standings, and following Saturday's action they have nine points, putting them in fifth place and in a playoff spot, three points ahead of three teams and three points behind two teams in the race for the post-season.

As the clock ticked down below a minute to play in the first overtime, Claire Smith (Hayward, Wis./Hayward) made a play on the right side of the field and moved the ball to the middle of the box to Schussman, who chipped a shot over the goalkeeper and into the Crown goal for her second of the game and third of the year to give the Yellowjackets the win. The time of the goal was 99:04.

Schussman also opened the scoring, netting the only goal of the first half, getting a pass in the middle from Sarah Fjeran (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) and putting a shot past Crown goalkeeper Michaela Cowman to make it 1-0 in the 12th minute. It stayed that way until the first minute of the second half when Abigail Taylor scored  pretty goal for Crown, working her way around Yellowjacket defenders on the left side and blasting a shot into the back of the net.

Then with under five minutes to play in the second half and the score tied 1-1, Emily Roe (Blaine, Wash./Blaine) scored her first goal of the season, getting a pass in the left side of the box and chipping a shot over the Crown goalkeeper and into the upper half of the net to put the Yellowjackets ahead. The joy was short-lived, however, as Crown tied the score just 94 seconds later, sending the teams to overtime and setting the stage for some hometown heroics.

Madison Gutekunst (Mound, Minn./Mound Westonka) made her fourth straight start and earned the win, making 13 saves to improve to 2-4-0 on the year.

Up Next: It's a quick turnaround for the Yellowjackets (3-7-1, 3-4-0 U.M.A.C.) as they close out their four-match homestand Sunday afternoon when they host Concordia College. The match will get underway at 1:00 p.m. at the N.B.C. Spartan Sports Complex.