Frostburg State University Athletics

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Soccer team advanced in their MEC Tournament Quarterfinal match against Charleston (WV), winning 6-5 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw in regulation and overtime.
 
FSU came into the game after securing the MEC North Division Championship with a 1-0 victory over Fairmont State, boasting a 14-2-2 record and a 13-1-2 mark in conference play. UC entered the match as the MEC South Division four seed, going 6-7-5 in the regular season and 6-5-5 in the MEC.
 
The Bobcats had the first opportunity of the game five minutes in, as junior Cassidy Paige latched onto a Golden Eagle giveaway at midfield and sprinted down the right side before crossing into classmate Mollie Rebuck, whose first-time effort forced keeper Ines Degli Esposti into a save to her right. Eight minutes later, Paige got her foot to a UC clearance that put Esposti into another save, as then after a quick giveaway, Paige darted into the box and laid the ball off for Rebuck, who missed her kick seven yards from goal. At the other end, Li-Lou Debaecker was played in behind the Frostburg defense, with senior Mia Graff racing out of her goal to shut down the shot and keep things scoreless.
 
Rebuck then had a fantastic chance to net the go-ahead goal, as some excellent combination play between senior Madison Hinton and junior Rayiah Davis played her in behind but blazed her shot over the bar. Hinton then had a pair of efforts herself over the next 10 minutes, putting both wide of the mark. Neither side created much until the final 15, when Debaecker had a hit from distance get blocked while freshman Kelly Dougherty fired right at Esposti before later getting her foot to a cross from sophomore Reese Rizzo but unable to put it on target, ending the half scoreless.
 
Three minutes into the second half, Paige looked to get FSU a quick goal, as a bouncing ball into the box caused trouble for the Charleston defense, however her poke at goal was right to the chest of Esposti. The Golden Eagles then had their best spell of the match, earning a corner kick from which a scramble resulted in a shot being blocked, then Zailee Roberts hit a curling effort over Graff's head that clipped the post and eventually was cleared out by the Frostburg defense.
 
After 10 minutes of back-and-forth possession, the Bobcats ramped up their attack, as Dougherty and Davis each had efforts get blocked, with the latter also having a pair of shots go just wide of goal. Freshman Mia Hudson then did well to tackle the ball away high up the field and played to the middle for Dougherty, who could only shoot directly at Esposti. On a counter-attack, senior Chelsea Pettyjohn played a ball down the line to junior Elena Fernandez, who was able to hold off her defender and play across to classmate Ana Davis, going high and wide on her first touch shot.
 
Rebuck then tried her luck on her left foot but hit wide, as Dougherty had a trio of chances in the next six minutes, getting a volley on her left that she couldn't keep down, a stab at a cross that went wide, and finally after being played through by Rebuck, seeing her shot tipped onto the post by Esposti, who fell on the rebound before Paige could fire home. In the final three minutes, Dougherty just missed finding the near post on a volley, then Fernandez played Paige down the right wing but she couldn't get enough power on her shot to beat Esposti, as regulation finished 0-0 and took things into overtime.
 
Within the first two minutes of the extra period, Ana Davis played a high ball into the box that was flicked into the path of Pettyjohn, as she caught it on the bounce towards goal but was thwarted by an onrushing Esposti. 90 seconds later, Rebuck had a chance on a second ball from a corner, with her swiveling shot being blocked, then Rayiah Davis took a chance from just outside the box but hit too close to Esposti. UC would have the final effort of the first OT period, with Jamie Bland firing well wayward on a volley from the edge of the box. In the second overtime, Frostburg controlled much of the possession but weren't able to generate many clear-cut chances, taking the game into penalty kicks.
 
Charleston would be the first to go, as Emilia Dis Oskarsdottir ripped a shot into the top right corner, then Paige was denied by Esposti to give the visitors some early momentum. That was swiftly taken away, however, as Ciara Casamento blazed over the bar while Rebuck sent Esposti the wrong way to even things up. Anae Buhlmann then missed high and wide for the Golden Eagles, however FSU couldn't take advantage as Rayiah Davis clipped over as well. Both sides made their next four kicks, as Abigail Harrison, Debaecker, Roberts, and Bland all converted for UC, while the Bobcats matched through senior Ella Combs, junior Ridgely Houck, Graff, and Pettyjohn. On the eighth kick for Charleston, Graff finally was able to guess the right way, diving to her left to deny Jennifer McArthur and put Frostburg one kick from advancing. Shaking off any first-year nerves, Dougherty stepped up and planted her effort into the left side of the goal to send the home bench and crowd into a frenzy, making the final penalty score 6-5.
 
The Bobcats held a 24-5 advantage in shots, putting nine on goal to the visitors' one, with it being the seventh consecutive shutout for FSU.
 
With the result, Frostburg moves to 14-2-3 on the year, while Charleston ends their campaign at 6-7-6. The Bobcats will return home on Wednesday, November 4 where they will host the North's three seed, Point Park, at 5 p.m. in the semifinal round. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.