KEYSTONE HOLDS OFF EXPRESS

AURORA, N.Y. – Olivia Kashuba (Dickson City, Pa./Summit Christian) scored four minutes into the second overtime sending the Keystone College Giants home with a 2-1 victory over the Wells College women's soccer team in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon in Aurora. Paige Stone (Madison, N.Y./Madison) scored the lone goal for the Express. With the loss Wells fall to 2-5 while the Giants improve to 2-1-1 on the season.

Samantha Littleford (Nanticoke, Pa./Nanticoke Area) paced the Giants with one goal and one assist while Giants keeper Rebecca Dinelli (Nanticoke, Pa./Nanticoke Area) finished with 11 saves. Cassie Smythe (Eden, N.Y./Eden) finished with seven saves in the loss.

Stone opened the scoring in the 11^th minute, breaking in on the right side, taking a pass from Juli Vibbard (Burlington Flats, N.Y./Edmeston) and sending a looping shot over the head of Dinelli into the far top left netting of the goal for a 1-0 Express lead. 

The score held until Littleford tied the game at one in the 33^rd minute, scoring on a penalty shot after the Express had been called for a foul in the box.

The two teams remained deadlocked well into the second half but the Express would have their chances. Megan Lawrence (Scipion Center, N.Y./Souther Cayuga) substituted in and quickly made her presence felt, making her way down the right hand side of the field and sending a cross over to Stone, who broke through two Giant defenders, firing a shot to the left but Dinelli would make a diving stop to preserve the 1-1 game.

The Giants would also have their chances. The Express were again called for a foul in the box but this time the call would be obstruction, resulting in an indirect kick instead of a penalty shot. The Express loaded the box and formed a wall in front of the net, but it would be all for nothing. The Giants shot the ball well over the net and the two teams played to a defensive stalemate the rest of regulation.

The Express controlled the majority of the first overtime and would register the only legitimate scoring threat. Kasia Jandura-Cessna (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) took the ball from the left hand side and shot a ball that looked destined for the back of the net but instead it clanged off the upper left corner of the goal and kicked out as the two teams headed into the second overtime.

In the second overtime, the Giants took advantage of Wells pressuring in the offensive zone and cleared the ball out to midfield where Littleford found Kashuba breaking towards the goal. The pass split two defenders, leaving Kashuba all alone and she delivered, sliding a shot past Smythe for the game winning goal at 4:24 of the second overtime.

The Express held the advantage in shots 21-12, while both teams registered three corner kicks each.

The Express return to action on Saturday when they take on SUNY ESF at 1 p.m. in Aurora.