BUCKHANNON — For the second time in this short soccer season, the West Virginia Wesleyan College women’s soccer team was stunned in the closing minute, this time to Notre Dame College (OH), losing 2-1 Wednesday in Buckhannon.
It looked like time had rewound to the West Virginia State University match 10 days ago where in the last dozen seconds the Lady Bobcats tried to stop a skittering ball within its own six-yard box that rebounded into the net for the opponent’s walk-off victory.
Wednesday, 40 seconds remained on the clock when a similar scramble around the net within the six-yard box found the Falcons’ Miriam Szijarto (assist by Sophia Motolese) who knocked it through the hands of Lady Bobcat keeper Alyssa Williams for the match winner.
The crushing defeat came after 89 minutes of back-and-forth play that remained scoreless until the 52nd minute when Wesleyan’s Ava Badallo scored her first goal of the season. Nineteen minutes later, the Falcons tied the match on a goal by Notre Dame’s leading scorer Szijarto.
Shots were limited for the Lady Bobcats who sent only four at the net, all on goal, while the Falcons racked up 17 shots (11 on goal). Fouls were also lopsided with Notre Dame tallying 14 to Wesleyan’s five.
Wesleyan (1-6) returns to action Friday, Sept. 29, when it travels to Athens for a 1 p.m. kickoff with Concord University (4-2-1), in a makeup match rescheduled due to lightning early in the season.
