Crusaders escape, hold off Warriors in overtime

By: Matt Oliver

FOREST CITY – Kelsey Szymansky notched the golden goal as Clarke University escaped with a 1-0 overtime win over the Waldorf University women’s soccer team on Wednesday.

Szymansky lifted the Crusaders (3-2) with the lone goal of the contest, scoring unassisted 2 minutes, 33 seconds into overtime.

Senior goalkeeper Charlotte Madrid collected three saves against four shots for the Warriors (1-7) in the hard-fought loss. Clarke’s Christine Piasecki recorded a save on the only shot she faced while earning the shutout.

The Crusaders outshot Waldorf by a 17-11 margin. Freshman Tyler Ledford registered the only shot on goal of the night for the Warriors. Senior Mia Crail fired six shots, and Waldorf also received four shot attempts from senior Brittney Thornton.

It was an evenly-matched battle from the start as both teams worked to control possession. Clarke owned a 6-4 shot advantage in the opening half and outshot the Warriors 10-7 during the final 45 minutes of regulation.

Waldorf looked to prevail in overtime. However, one shot in the extra period was enough for the Crusaders as Szymansky connected on the game-winning goal from the 30-yardline.

The Warriors aim to bounce back on Sunday when they host Dakota Wesleyan University (0-6) in a 12 p.m. kickoff at Bolstorff Field.