Newport News, Va. – The Penn State Harrisburg women's soccer team traveled to play the #9 ranked Christopher Newport University (CNU) Captains on Saturday September 29th. The Lions took a first half lead thanks to Katie Kosovac who scored her first goal of the season. CNU responded in the 65th minute to even the score at 1-1, in a game that would need an overtime period to determine a winner.
Harrisburg came into the contest knowing they were facing one of the best teams in the nation and they would need to be sharp technically and tactically to put themselves in a position to earn the win. The Captains started the game strong and had a few chances in the first 15 minutes, but were unable to hit the target in the early part of the match.
As the Lions settled into the game, some of their attack also started to come through. Harrisburg's Kaeleigh Smedley took a free kick and found Katie Kosovac for the glancing header and first goal of her collegiate career in the 36th minute.
Newport started the second half with a sense of urgency and sent numbers forward as they pushed for the equalizer. Despite creating shots and a few half chances, the Lions nearly put the game out of reach thanks to Romina Dichio on the counter. Rhyan Socash drove the ball from midfield before laying off the perfect pass for Dichio who was an inch away from scoring the insurance goal, but instead found the inside post.
The Captains found their equalizer in the 65th, setting up a thrilling conclusion to a quality match. In the end, it would take extra time to settle the intense contest. Unfortunately, for the Lions, who looked equally dangerous in OT, CNU was able to score the game winner in the 98th minute.
Penn State Harrisburg has a couple of days to regroup, before traveling to face an undefeated Scranton University (8-0-1). Kickoff is at 7pm on Wednesday October 3rd.