(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – It's not a secret that
Halley Shaffer (Sr., Sunbury, Pa. / Line Mountain) has made a habit of scoring goals in her legendary career, but none were bigger than the one she buried in Wednesday's United East Championship First Round game. With 1:11 remaining in double-overtime, the program's all-time leading scorer controlled a long pass from
Atiya Jackson (Jr., Brunswick, Md. / Brunswick / Shippensburg) on a breakaway to score a golden goal to send No. 8 Wilson past No. 9 Cairn in yet another postseason thriller.
The win propels the Phoenix into a rematch with top-seed Penn State Harrisburg in Middletown on Saturday.
The Basics
Score: No. 8 Wilson 2, No. 9 Cairn 1 (2OT)
Venue: Kris's Meadow
Records: No. 8 Wilson 7-9-3, No. 9 Cairn 2-11-2
How It Happened
- The Highlanders struck first with a goal as Abby Mellinger scored off of a loose ball situation just 3:37 into the game. Juliana Condurso centered a ball into the top of the box where Ella Schmoyer (FY, York, Pa. / West York) tried to disrupt the pass, but Mellinger was able to corral the ball and sent a high-arching shot towards the upper right 90. It was perfectly placed and gave Cairn the early lead.
- Wilson had a couple of shots in the minutes after in an attempt to pull even, but its best opportunity came midway through the period on a corner kick. Maddy Miller (Sr., Dillsburg, Pa. / Northern) sent in a corner kick which was able to find its way to Gretchen Turner (Sr., York, Pa. / Northeastern) in front of an open net, but she wasn't able to get enough on it and it trickled to the Highlanders' keeper. Cairn a few chances as well which resulted in Madison Ebersole (So., Big Pool, Md. / Clear Springs) making three critical saves to keep it a 1-0 game at the break.
- It didn't take long for the Phoenix to equalize in the second half and they were able to do so on a set piece. After forcing a corner kick, Miller put a well-placed ball near the six-yard box and a Highlanders defender inadvertently kneed the ball into the goal while trying knock it away.
- From there, Wilson had a couple of excellent chances to go ahead in regulation. Just as the final 30 started, Annie Smith (Sr., Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) found Miller breaking up the middle wide open, but the pass had just a bit too much on it as the Highlanders keeper Rhian Erspamer averted the threat. With 16 minutes left, Kenzie Hermann (FY, Perkasie, Pa.) centered a pass from the left side that snuck through five players in the six-yard box before just bouncing out of reach of Becca Cordell (Sr., Waynesboro, Pa. / Waynesboro) on the far post. Cordell was able to regain control, but the eventual shots that followed weren't on target. The Highlanders had one last chance in regulation as well as Victoria Vega lasered a shot inside the right post with 30 seconds left. Ebersole was able to make the save, but the shot was so hard it deflected out and in front of the goal to the opposite side before Ebersole was able to regain control and send the game to extra time.
- The Phoenix appeared to have won the game early in the first overtime period as a foul left the Blue and White with a free kick just outside the left corner of the box. Herman placed just directly in the center and Miller was able to head it inside the far post, but Wilson was called offsides on the play.
- Jackson nearly ended the game as well early in the second overtime as she won a loose ball in the box. However, the resulting shot went off the right post and ricocheted out to the left. Cairn then had a close chance with just over three minutes left as Condurso looked to get a shot off at the top center before Cordell made a strong tackle to deflect the ball away and allow Ebersole to regain control. Jackson then made up for her miss earlier as she controlled a long throw-in by Hermann near the end line and sailed the ball up the field where Shaffer was able to beat the defense and boot it in the left side for the win.
Inside The Numbers
- Shaffer's goal was her 12th overall and sixth game winner of the season. For her career, it's her 64th overall and 16th game-winner. She jumps back into fifth in the entirety of the NCAA for most goals among active players. She's also fifth in Division III active players with 136 career points.
- Jackson has now registered a point in five of her last seven games with assists in four of her last six.
- Ebersole was phenomenal once again in goal with nine saves on 13 shots faced to give her exactly 100 on the season. It's the sixth time this year she's tallied at least nine stops in a game.
- Extra time has been a familiar site for the Phoenix in postseason games as of late. The past three years have seen the Blue and White host a home playoff game and each time it has gone to double overtime. Two years ago the Phoenix tied the Highlanders only to see Cairn advance on penalty kicks. Last year Annie Smith provided the heroics with a golden goal in double overtime in the 106th minute.
- Wilson moves to 6-4-1 all-time against the Highlanders. The Phoenix have taken six of the last seven with the tied playoff game Cairn advanced on included in that.
Up Next
The Phoenix will meet top-seeded Penn State Harrisburg in Middletown for a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday. The two squared off back on October 18 with the Lions taking that contest at home.
