NEWTON--The Eagles have finally landed, sinking their talons into their first ever victory over the Harvard women's soccer team, a 2-1 overtime affair last night at B.C.'s Alumni Stadium.
The two nationally ranked powers sloshed their way to a 1-1 tie after 90 minutes regulation play, but five minutes into the first overtime half the Eagles forged ahead to stay. Eagle forward Ann Porell scored the game-winner when she blasted her second penalty kick of the game into the upper righthand corner of the Crimson net.
Porell converted her first penalty kick 15 minutes into the game. Harvard was slow to respond offensively, but some spectacular play by junior Joan Elliott kept the Crimson in the game. Thirty minutes into the first half, Harvard goalie Lisa Rowning got caught out of the net, Elliott stepped into the goalmouth and kicked away a potential Eagle score.
Harvard's offense remained sluggish through the first half and through most of the second.
"We just didn't create much out there," Crimson Coach Bob Scaline commented. "They were willing to take more dangerous chances."
Crimson high-scorer Kelly Landry decided to generate her own scoring opportunity two minutes into the second half. Landry picked up the ball at midfield, wove through a labyrinth of Eagle defenders and drilled a point-blank salve past B.C. netminder Kathy Brophy to tie the score.
But Landry's excursion behind the Eagle lines was a rarity for the Crimson offense, which managed only five shots on goal the whole-evening. On the other hand, only Rowning's brilliant play prevented more of B.C.'s 28 shots from striking the Crimson twines.
THE NOTEBOOK: The two teams played to a 4-4 tie last year. Harvard is now 5-2.
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