Cowgirls Drop Overtime Thriller At No. 5 Florida

Friday, September 4

Gainesville, FL

6:00:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

2-2-0

Florida

4-1-0

OT 2

Oklahoma State

Florida

Photo by: Tim Casey

September 04, 2015 | Cowgirl Soccer

Box Score

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Oklahoma State's upset bid against No. 5 Florida came up just short Friday night at James G. Pressly Stadium as the Gators recorded a golden goal with 19 seconds remaining in the first overtime period to claim a 3-2 win.

Brooke Sharp's second goal of the match doomed OSU, which fell to 2-2-0 on the season. UF is now 4-1-0.

"Florida is a great team – they're gonna win a ton of games," said OSU head coach Colin Carmichael. "Disappointed to lose, love the effort of my team, love the competitiveness and some of the play. It was a really, really good soccer game and a pity we had to lose in overtime."

OSU didn't need long to take the game's initial lead. In the third minute, Christina Jean-Charles sent a ball ahead to Courtney Dike, who got in deep behind the defense and sent a ball towards the far post where Marlo Zoller was there to tap it in from two-yards out.

The goal was the second of the season for Zoller and gave the Cowgirls a lead they would hold for nearly 24 minutes.

However, at the 26:30 mark, UF recorded the equalizer when Christen Westphal sent a cross into the box that the OSU defense was unable to clear. Sharp took advantage, sending a shot in from eight-yards out to tie it at 1-1.

The Gators would take the lead in the 38^th minute when Liz Slattery delivered a header into the back of the net off a corner kick from Lauren Smith.

Trailing 2-1 at intermission, OSU's attack picked up in the second half, and the Cowgirls nearly converted the equalizer in the 58^th minute when Allie Stephenson blasted a straight-on shot from 25-yards out that caromed off the crossbar.

Minutes later, OSU goalie Michela Ongaro made one of several highlight reel saves on the night as she leapt and deflected a Claire Falknor shot over the crossbar to keep the Cowgirls' deficit at 2-1.

But the Gators would not be able to hold the lead.

In the 66^th minute, Haley Woodard intercepted a UF pass just inside midfield and sent a pass ahead to a streaking Dike, who went one-on-one with goalie Kaylan Marckese. Dike rose to the challenge as she slotted in a shot from 17-yards out to the near post to tie the score at 2-2.

Neither team could manage the go-ahead score in regulation, but UF was able to emerge victorious when, off a corner kick, Sharp slipped a shot past Ongaro for the win at the 99:41 mark.

Ongaro finished with seven saves, one shy of her career high set in 2013 against Texas.

OSU returns to action Sunday when the Cowgirls are at 19^th-ranked UCF. Kickoff is 11 a.m. (CST).