Smith College Sneaks Past Owls in Overtime, 2-1

WESTFIELD, Mass. –   Smith College's Parker Ellis (Chicago, Ill./Jones Prep) found the back of the net with 5:54 in the first overtime to give the Pioneers a 2-1 win over Westfield State in a well-played non-conference women's soccer match at Alumni Field on Wednesday night.

In the extra frame, Smith was awarded a free kick near midfield.   The ball was deflected high in the air by an Owls' defender, and when it came down near the top of the penalty area, Hannah Hutton (Germantown, Tenn.) one-touched it to the left to Ellis who fired to the right side of the goal for the game winner.

Smith improves to 4-2-2 with the win, while Westfield is now 5-4-1.

The match was evenly played throughout.   Smith netted the first marker of the game with just seconds left in the first half.   The ball ricocheted off a Westfield State player near midfield, and the Pioneers sent a long pass ahead down the right sideline to Natalie Dionne (Brooklyn, Conn./NFA), who juked an Owls defender 20 yards out on the right side to create the shot opportunity, and ripped a long shot to the far post for a 1-0 lead.

Westfield State equalized the match at 1-1 in the 69^th minute when Kayla Demers (Salem, Mass./St Mary's) came in on a counter attack, firing an initial shot that was deflected by Smith netminder Naomi Falkenberg (South Pasadena, Calif.). The loose ball squirted out to the left where Demers ran on to it about three yards out and slotted it into the net.

Smith's Falkenberg made 11 saves in the win, while Westfield State's Lauryn Davis (Templeton, Mass./Quabbin Reg.) stopped nine shots.

Total shots had Westfield with a 22-20 margin, and Westfield generated six corner kicks to the Pioneers five.

Westfield will be back in action on Saturday with a key conference matchup at Worcester State, with a noon kickoff.