BY MARTIN SCHLEGEL

A double-overtime nail biter ended in a tie against Sioux Falls. MSUM women’s soccer came close to winning multiple times while dominating most of the game.

In the first half, MSUM came out firing shots from all directions. The team applied lots of pressure in the offensive zone. Eight shots were fired by MSUM before Sioux Falls could get their first. In fact, Sioux Falls did not have an attempted shot till the thirty-first minute mark of the first half.

Most of the offense in the first half came from MSUM sophomore Mackenzie Carlson and freshman Jessica Dallman.

Assistant coach Uchenna Ogbonnaya said he was pleased with the young offensive players and their progress. “They are finally starting to gel and come together,” he said.

The second half, Sioux Falls controlled the pace of the game. MSUM looked out-of-sorts after starting off strong. Sioux Falls was able to apply steady offensive pressure while MSUM did not.

“We hit a little bit of a lull,” Ogbonnaya said. He also noted that some marks were missed but the team kept Sioux Falls’s pressure contained.

Late in the second half, MSUM came close to pulling out the win. The team had two shots on net in the last 10 minutes.

After 90 minutes, the two teams were scoreless. Ogbonnaya said the message to the team was simple. “We are more fit,” he said. “Lets keep pressuring them.”

Both teams had their chances in overtime. Six shots were fired from the two teams combined. Of the six shots, five were on net, including three shots on net from Sioux Falls in the last two minutes of play.

Still scoreless, they headed into overtime. Again both teams had their chances to score. However, MSUM came oh-so-close to winning when a shot hit the crossbar. MSUM’s bench reacted as if they had lost the game. A few players knelt to the ground face down, while others threw their hands up and rested them on their heads in disbelief.

“At some point shots have to fall,” Obgonnaya said. He knew MSUM had the best chances to win in extra time.

The game ended in a 0-0 tie. As a result, MSUM’s record is now 1-10-4 and Sioux Falls now sits at 2-12-1.

Obgonnaya said the team’s tie, while not a win, was a confidence booster. MSUM has two games remaining on the schedule. They will be looking to finish the season with some momentum.

“We are looking to end with two victories,” Obgonnaya said.