Oct. 15, 2010
Box Score | Gresham/Sherry Video
RUSTON, La. - Down 2-0 at the half, the Louisiana Tech soccer team made an amazing comeback and in dramatic fashion, beat defending conference champions San Jose State 5-4 in overtime on Friday at the Lady Techster Soccer Field.
Senior Kiva Gresham recorded her first-career hat trick with her final goal being the game-winner in the fifth minute of overtime. She received the pass from junior Scotti Culton, her second assist of the match.
How the Lady Techsters (13-4-0, 3-2-0 Western Athletic Conference) forced overtime is a story in itself. Tech trailed 2-0 early on as two long Spartan goals sailed over the head of Techster goalkeeper Caitlyn Updyke, an error that head coach Kevin Sherry takes responsibility for.
"That was my mistake," Sherry said. "I set up a system that I thought would work against them. It was almost like the system we used against Boise State, but it didn't work. I didn't change it until two goals went in and as soon as we changed it, we were back in the game."
Gresham scored Tech's first goal of the match in the 60th minute with the assist from Culton. However, SJSU kept the two-goal lead with a goal three minutes later by Kelsey Lord, her second of the contest.
In the 68th minute, junior Chelsea White scored her second goal of the season the same way she scored her first, on a corner kick. Freshman Paige Dunn took the kick and made a perfect pass to White who headed it in as Tech trailed 3-2.
The Spartans (7-6-1, 1-1-1 WAC) returned the favor with a goal in the 80th minute by Kayla Santacruz.
"Every time we would come back, they would score another goal so it was kind of disheartening at times," Gresham said. "But we kept fighting and my team was giving me the balls in some really good areas and I just put it away."
Gresham put away her second goal of the match in the 84th minute from 15 yards out off a great pass by freshman Emily Brennan. That set up for a wild finish in what Gresham described in one word as "dramatic."
In the final minute of play, Culton controlled the ball in the penalty box when she was pushed from behind by SJSU's Sarah Fraser. It was Fraser's second yellow card of the match, resulting in a red card. Culton made the penalty kick and sent Tech to overtime for the second time this season.
Due to the red card, SJSU had to play one person down and Tech took advantage as Gresham scored the game-winner.
"I honestly thought that we had lost the game twice," said Sherry, whose birthday was Friday. "Then to comeback like that. I have never in my years of coaching been apart of a game as dramatic as that."
The win gives Tech it's 13th of the season, a school record. It was also the most goals scored in WAC play in school history.
Tech took a season-high 32 shots, 15 on-goal. SJSU took 14 shots, nine on goal.
The Lady Techsters look for a win on senior day on Sunday at noon against Fresno State.
