Women's Soccer Battles Salem State to 2-2 Double Overtime Draw

Salem, Mass. --The Salem State Vikings and the Rams of Framingham State played to a 2-2 highly contested tie in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women's soccer match on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Sarah Previte (Beverly, Mass.) scored the first goal of the game on an assist from Casey Connolly (Nahant, Mass.) at the 3:21 mark that gave Salem State (4-4-3, 0-1-2) a 1-0 lead. 

Sophomore Kayla Austin (Winchester, Mass.) answered for the Rams (5-4-1, 1-1-1) in the 14th minute with an unassisted goal. Austin laced a well-placed shot from 35 yards out that sailed over the outstretched arms of Vikings' goalie Leah Potcner (Wilmington, Mass.).

However,  Previte followed with her second score of the game just over a minute later when she placed a perfect shot off a pass from Kelsey Delaney (Wakefield, Mass.) into the net to give Salem State a 2-1 lead.

Freshman forward Isabela DeSouza (Framingham, Mass.) tied the game in the 30th minute for Framingham State when she fired a shot into the upper right corner off her left foot from 15 yards away.  DeSouza had a chance to put the Rams back on top right before the half, with a penalty kick. However, her shot bounced off the right post and the game remained tied heading into the break.

Both teams had chances to recapture the lead in the second stanza. The Vikings' Previte had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but her free kick sailed over the crossbar with seven minutes left. Framingham State senior Kerry Kiley (Mansfield, Mass.) broke free with the clock winding down in regulation, but Potcner made a diving save to preserve the tie with two seconds left. 

Framingham State had the best scoring chance in overtime when junior Laura Bova's (Fall River, Mass.) shot rebounded back out to DeSouza who hit the crossbar with her follow up attempt.

Potcner had seven saves in the game, while Rams' goalie freshman McKenzie Vershon (Chicopee, MA) stopped six shots in the contest.

Salem State's next game is away against Plymouth State University on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.  Framingham State plays again on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Keene State.