Soccer ties Rhode Island in double-overtime

The University of Richmond women’s soccer team tied the University of Rhode Island, 1-1, in a double overtime thriller Thursday night at E. Claiborne Robins Stadium.

The Spiders failed to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities against a winless Rams team. 

 “We weren’t clinical with our finishing," Richmond Head Coach Marty Beall said. "Hitting the crossbar is good, but hitting the back of the net is better.” 

Senior Ashley Gross scored the lone Richmond goal in the 86th minute, evening the score just two minutes after URI’s Brooke Osmanski hit the back of the net with a header.

Neither team scored in the first half, despite getting seven shots off each. The closest chance for the Spiders was in the 33rd minute, when senior Bailey Cristian’s shot deflected hard off the crossbar. 

Junior Brooke Beam, playing on the wing, showed off skillful dribbling as she continually attempted to create opportunities, but she was unable to produce any goals for the Spiders. 

Sophomore Katie Tritt managed to get two shots on goal in the half, but solid play from URI goalkeeper Haley Brennan kept the game scoreless. 

Richmond's defense contained URI’s attack, and redshirt first-year goalkeeper Emily Wigg had four first-half saves. 

The second half began quietly, until first-year Molly Morgan’s 50th-minute header was saved by a diving Brennan. Less than 5 minutes later, the Spiders were denied again when sophomore TJ Anderson’s header was saved in similar fashion by Brennan. 

Neither team took a shot for over 15 minutes, as both offenses struggled to find open space near the goal. In the 71st minute, first-year Camryn Williams hit the bottom of the crossbar after a well-executed give-and-go by senior Mackenzie Cox. 

With just over five minutes remaining in regulation, URI’s Osmanski scored her third goal of the season on an open header that she tucked into the corner of the net past Wigg, giving the Rams the lead.

The Spiders, facing what would have been a crushing loss, responded two minutes later, as Gross received a perfectly placed corner kick from Cristian and lofted a header over the URI goalkeeper for a goal, tying the game.

Neither team had a shot on goal for the rest of regulation, and the game went to overtime with the score 1-1.

The first overtime again started slowly, and only one shot was taken until the 98th minute, when a loose ball near the Richmond goal seemed on its way into the net until midfielder Katie Tritt deflected it away with her hands.

Tritt received a red card and was sent off, and URI was awarded a penalty kick. With the game on the line, Wigg dove to her left and made the save. The rebound went out of bounds, and the game headed to a second overtime.

Down a player in the second overtime, the Spiders still managed to control the game but could manage only one shot, a strike by Beam that sailed wide. The Rams did not generate any offense in the second overtime, and the game ended in a tie, despite the Spiders dominating time of possession and shots on goal.

“We’re getting better and better … We have great leadership,” Beall said. “We have to evaluate where we are, and see the good moments, and keep those good moments rolling.”

The Spiders’ record moved to 1-11-1. Their next game is away against George Washington University on Sunday. 

Contact sports writer Noah Jacobs at noah.jacobs@richmond.edu.