The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Buffalo
Women's Soccer takes Buffalo to the wire, falls 2-1 in 2OT
October 30 | Women's Soccer
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Final Statistics | Season Statistics
BUFFALO, N.Y -- Akron pushed the Mid-American Conference regular season champion to the brink, but did not have enough to outlast Buffalo in a 2-1 double overtime loss on Thursday afternoon at UB Stadium.
The Zips carried a 1-0 lead into the second half, but the Bulls would tie it in the 53rd minute and eventually find the golden goal in the second overtime period for the win.
The result ends UA's season with a 6-12-1 overall record and a 2-9-0 mark in conference play. Buffalo advances as the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament with a 13-2-3 overall record and an unbeaten 9-0-2 mark in the league.
Six of Akron's 19 games on the season have extended into overtime, four of which have gone into 2OT. Thursday's match was UA's second double overtime game in its last three outings.
Senior Lani Smith scored her sixth goal of the season and the 15th goal for her career in just the fourth minute of action to give the Zips an early 1-0 advantage. Smith put a foot on a cross from Sarah Sivic into the box that deflected off a UB defender and into the goal. The assist was Sivic's third of the year.
Smith totaled four of Akron's 11 shots on the day, and three were on goal. Holly Ohradzansky added three shots and Madison Kaser posted two.
Buffalo peppered 14 shots on goal at Alex Luevano-Harden and Klaire Adee, who split time in goal. Luevano-Harden played the first half and made five saves, whle Adee served the last 56:46 between the pipes and had seven saves.
UB's Kassidy Kidd found the equalizer shortly after intermission in the 53rd minute on an assist from Kristin Markiewicz, tying the match at 1-all.
The two teams battled it out for the rest of regulation, but neither team was able to get a look at the goal for the last 20 minutes. Buffalo's Julia Benati recorded the only shot in the first overtime period, pushing for a final 10 minutes of play.
The Bulls connected on the golden goal on a set piece that started with a corner kick from Benati. Jackie Hall headed the ball past Adee off a pass from Celina Carrero, lifting Buffalo to victory.
The match was the final career game for Akron's seven seniors - Karina Atkinson, Sydney Blomquist, Brooke Carrel, Alexandra Frawley, Danielle Reymann, Luevano-Harden and Smith.
