Bucs defeat NJIT in overtime thriller in first game of the Nike Tournament, 2-1

Friday, August 29

4 pm

Charleston Southern University Athletics

2-1-0

NJIT

1-2-0

Team	1	2	OT 2	Final F
NJIT	1	0	0	1
Charleston So.	0	1	1	2

Bucs defeat NJIT in overtime thriller in first game of the Nike Tournament, 2-1

8/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Erica Gazzani connected on the golden goal header in the 99th minute of play off the corner kick from Gina Cox as Charleston Southern defeated NJIT in the Buccaneers' 2014 home opener on Friday afternoon, 2-1.

The Bucs outshot the Highlanders 29-13 overall in the contest, but only needed one shot in the second half to seal the come-from-behind win against NJIT, as Cox's corner kick sailed over the defense to Gazzani, where the sophomore redirected it down and into the net for the game-winning goal. The goal, Gazzani's first in her collegiate career at CSU, set off a Bucs' celebration in front of the net.

"I am really happy with the getting the win today," commented CSU head coach Eric Terrill. "The final goal, the way we were able to win, it was just huge. I'm super excited for Erica. I'm super excited for Anna (Sells). These sophomores are stepping up and making huge impacts for us this year."

CSU improves to 2-1 overall in the 2014 season with the victory and will face S.C. State on the CSU Soccer Field on Sunday afternoon as the Bucs will take on the Bulldogs in the final match of the first weekend of the Nike Tournament. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Sells sent the game into overtime, tying the match up at 1-1 in the 83rd minute of regulation after dribbling up the line and pushing in a shot from two yards away to give the Bucs new life heading into the final minutes of regulation.

"Anna Sells will be a huge part of our success going into her sophomore season," Terrill commented. "She was huge for us in this game today. She is really dominant, and she needs to continue developing that next step.. Anna, and Chelsea Frankeny, and Jordan Newman, Chelsea Phillips . . . we've got a really good group of attacking players that are a lot of fun to watch."

Liz-Amanda Brown picked up her second collegiate win in goal, facing 13 NJIT shots while making two saves in the victory. NJIT's Samantha Bersett made several spectacular saves in a losing effort, including two point blank on shots by CSU's Chelsea Phillips and Sells to keep the shutout attempt alive, in finishing with 10 saves on the afternoon.

"NJIT came out, ready to play and got out ahead of us," Terrill said. "We didn't have a great week of practice, but the girls stepped up and came back to finish it. We were able to capitalize on some of our scoring chances. I think that is really the key to this season - capitalizing on those opportunities that we have and continuing to create. We need to develop some chemistry on the field, but that is coming along."

Dana Schules opened the scoring in the first half for the Highlanders, taking the deflection off the crossbar from Madeline Griep's shot and headed it into the back of the net at the 16:20 mark to put NJIT on the board first.

The early goal looked to stand late into the game as the Highlanders' defense turned away several CSU scoring opportunities. Bersett led the way from inside the box, making a diving stop on a shot from Phillips' from five yards away at the 71:03 mark, nullifying the Bucs' best scoring chance up to that point of the game.

Sells however broke the seal on the goal at the 82:03 mark, tracking down the thru ball from Chelsea Frankeny and carried it up the backline toward the goal. Nearing the net, she cut back to the right and tucked the ball inside the left post, under Bersett's dive to tie the match up at 1-1.

Sells nearly recorded her second collegiate multi-score game in her career a minute later, but her header off of Kelly Hinkle's corner kick was snagged by Bersett at the 83:26 mark to send the game into overtime.

Gazzani's goal was the lone shot of the overtime period, coming at the 98:20 mark in the contest as the sophomore soared over the defender to put the shot into the net and clinch the CSU victory.

Charleston Southern pressed the attack the majority of the game, finishing with the 10-1 edge in corner kicks.