Sept. 16, 2013
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
TULSA, Okla.- There may have been less than a minute remaining in regulation of the Penn State women's soccer match at Tulsa, but the mood among the Nittany Lions could not have been calmer.
Even after a goal by Tulsa's Camille Pelley evened the score, 2-2, with four minutes left and made overtime seem inevitable, the Lions knew that the most important thing for them to do was stay focused.
"I don't think our response (to Tulsa's goal) could have better," said senior forward Tani Costa. "We kept working, kept communication, and kept hunting."
The hunting would pay off with 20 seconds remaining when senior forward Maya Hayes took advantage of what was likely her team's final opportunity of regulation.
After receiving a pass from fellow senior Taylor Schram, the reigning All-American drilled a shot from 15 yards out past Tulsa keeper Hayley Harryman to give Penn State a dramatic 3-2 victory that capped a wild weekend for the Nittany Lions.
"We got the ball in transition and I saw their backline dropping so I just tried to find some space and get a shot off," said Hayes. "It was a great win to get and we're where we want to be right now."
Hayes's shot sent the Penn State bench into pandemonium, a sight that was common during a weekend that saw the Lions in a number of high-pressure situations.
"We went so crazy on the sidelines we had to stop ourselves from rushing the field," said Costa. "There were still 20 seconds left so we knew we needed to focus."
Costa, who added Penn State's second goal vs. the Golden Hurricane after sophomore forward Mallory Weber scored the first, was the key to her team's success all weekend.
The reserve forward tallied three assists in the Nittany Lions, 4-2, comeback win over Oklahoma State on Friday, and had head coach Erica Walsh raving about her by the time the team's road stretch was over.
"Tani was definitely the MVP of our team this weekend," said Walsh. "She's accepted her role and has been making a huge impact coming off the bench."
Against Oklahoma State, Walsh's crew found themselves in a hole after a furious surge by the home team gave the Cowgirls a 2-0 lead less than 25 minutes into the game.
Despite facing a hostile crowd and two-goal deficit, the Lions stuck to their game plan and didn't allow themselves to panic.
"Even after they scored their second goal our bench was calm and our vibe was good," said Costa. "We knew we were going to win."
It wouldn't take long for the Lions to get going, as junior midfielder Kori Chapic answered with a 30-yard bullet to get the Lions on the board just two minutes after Oklahoma State's second goal.
Weber and Hayes would follow with goals of their own within the game's next 15 minutes to give the Nittany Lions a 3-2 lead going into the break.
In the second half, Penn State goalie Britt Eckerstrom would make two clutch saves to keep the Cowgirls from tying the score before Hayes added her second goal of the night to seal the win with six minutes remaining.
"Our response against Oklahoma State was great," said Hayes. "Nobody put their head down and everybody just kept playing hard."
While her squad was tested numerous times during the recent three game road stretch that began with a 6-0 victory over Bucknell last Tuesday, Walsh seemed pleased with her team's ability to handle adversity.
With Penn State beginning their Big Ten schedule on Friday, Sept. 20 when they take on Northwestern in Happy Valley, the leader of the Blue and White was glad that her players have shown they can fight their way through anything.
"This was not an easy road trip but it was well worth it because we fought through every challenge that came our way," said Walsh. "Overall, this was a very good weekend for us."
At this point, the Nittany Lions have only one thing on their mind, and that is returning to Jeffrey Field to play in front of the Penn State faithful under the bright Friday night lights.
"We are so excited to be back at Jeffrey (Field)," said Costa. "The spirit of the crowd is awesome and it's really a one-of-a-kind place."