The Dayton Flyers spotted the St. Louis
Billikens a 2-1 halftime advantage, but clawed their way back with a late goal in the second half to force overtime -- winning it shortly after the re-start. Freshman Alexis Kiehl notched the game-winner and finished with a brace as the Flyers won 3-2 just two minutes into extra time on a cold and blustery evening at Baujan Field. Dayton improves to 5-6-1 in the process of winning their A10 opener, while the Billikens fall to 5-6-0 (0-1).
The Flyers got off to a solid start after kickoff, earning a preponderance of possession in the middle third of the field. While UD got forward on a few occasions and encroached on the SLU goal box, the clean play and execution bogged down a bit when scoring chances materialized. Still, Dayton continued to apply early pressure despite the equally-solid effort on the part of St. Louis. If nothing else, SLU was not playing or acting like a pushover, forcing UD to earn it the hard way.
Unfortunately, mistakes in the Flyer back line have cost Dayton all season, oftentimes minor mistakes that lead to goals against. The Billikens kept that storyline in tact after UD made poor defensive work of an SLU free kick into the box. Unable to clear the ball, St. Louis pounded it home just nine minutes into the match for their first goal on their first shot on frame.
Forced to play from behind, Dayton had an immediate answer. Alexis Kiehl challenged a ball deep in the SLU goal box directly after the kickoff, slotting a ball past the goalkeeper to even the match at 1-1 just nine seconds after UD surrendered the lead. Bingo bango.
The Flyers continued to generate the majority of the game's offensive scoring chances. Some opportunities were better than others. UD used wide defenders to sneak possession down the touch lines, while midfield play from Erin O'Malley and Nicole Waters distributed to wings and forwards running into space. The Flyers generated a number of shots, but quality shots on goal were sometimes hard to come by.
Another routine clearance in the back line however proved daunting and the Flyers once again paid dearly in the 39th minute when Livi Logan-Wood pounced on a loose ball with a clean look inside the box for a 2-1 St. Louis advantage -- a lead they would take into halftime.
First half stats favored Dayton in shots 16-6, but the home team would have to clean things up in the second half, capitalize on scoring chances, and battle a significant head-wind in the process.
For stretches of the second half, the Flyers dominated possession and got forward with decent chances inside the box, but the head-wind also bunkered the Flyers defensively when they couldn't overcome the wind with a heavy foot on the ball. The closest Flyer scoring chance came on a ball that squirted past SLU GK Hanna Benben, but she spun around and put a mitt on the ball -- stopping it directly on the goal line to save her team's bacon and protect SLU's one-goal lead.
On the other side of the field, St. Louis almost made it 3-1 on a shot from the right side of the box that glanced off the crossbar at the far post. Beyond that, Dayton had most of the momentum. What they didn't have however was an equalizing goal.
Sophomore Meghan Blank came through in the 82nd minute with a redirect off a Sidney Leroy helper to even the score at 2-2. Dayton had a couple good chances in the waning moments to win it in regulation but could not capitalize.
It didn't take long however to stick a fork in St. Louis once overtime commenced. Kiehl's flick-header gave UD the dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 victory - a header that found the ball before the goalkeeper could punch it out after exiting her goal mouth to challenge. Blank earned the assist with the well-placed cross.
Overall, UD out-shot SLU 30-11, including 12-5 on frame. Corner kicks were even at 3-3.
The Flyers outplayed St. Louis, but the Billikens played some competitive soccer and were stronger than their record might indicate. Still, UD made it harder on themselves with more soft goals surrendered on the defensive side of the ball. To UD's credit however -- both offensively and defensively -- they stuck with it, didn't panic, and used their better overall play to exploit their chances to claw back for the win. Dayton escaped, but it's not exactly a recipe for long-term success.
UD hits the road next weekend for matches at St. Joseph's and George Mason.
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