RUSTON – Freshman Connor Barker got her second career start and came up big for the Louisiana Tech soccer team, scoring the golden goal early in the first overtime period to help notch a 1-0 victory over UTEP on a chilly Thursday night at the Lady Techster Soccer Complex.
 
LA Tech (10-5-1, 3-3-1 C-USA) picked up its 10th win of the season, marking the fifth straight year with double-digit victories.  Just as important, they picked up three points to bring their total to 10 with three league matches remaining. 
 
It appeared as though they would win it in regulation since UTEP's star player Lauren Crenshaw was issued a straight red card 15 minutes into the match.  However, the Miners were up for the challenge in fighting off the Lady Techsters offensive barrage, especially goalkeeper Caley Leask who made big save after big save in just her second game in net this season. 
 
UTEP (6-8-1, 1-5-0 C-USA) was able to take the scoreless match into overtime, but Barker connected on what was her game-high seventh shot attempt of the night which came in the 91st minute. 
 
"It was a roller coaster of emotions," head coach Kevin Sherry said.  "We had a good opportunity to score before the red card.  Then after the red card we dominated possession, but UTEP still had an opportunity or two in the second half to win it. 
 
"We were waiting for our goal to be scored, but there was that stress and frustration because we could have been one behind.  It was a weird sense of relief.  The UTEP goalkeeper had some incredible saves.  They were very difficult to break down."
 
Barker had the very first scoring opportunity when she possessed a turnover and split the center backs, but Leask made the first of many great saves on the 1v1 in the fifth minute. 
 
The match took a complete 180 in the 15th minute when Crenshaw got the red card, forcing the Miners to play a player down for the remainder of the game. 
 
LA Tech ended up taking 14 shots in the first period, but they were all either blocked, saved or off target as the match was scoreless at halftime. 
 
Barker quickly had two more shot attempts within the first five minutes of the second period, but one sailed high and the other was saved by Leask. 
 
Suddenly, UTEP was creating some scoring chances midway through the second half with back-to-back shots getting blocked and then later a corner kick that was successfully cleared out and a free kick from 22 yards out straight on by Jodie Enokson that went high over the crossbar. 
 
The Lady Techsters totaled 11 shot attempts in the second 45 minutes of action, the closest scoring chance coming from senior Nomvula Kgoale in the 81st who set up for a free kick from 25 yards and bent it perfectly into the left corner.  But again, it was Leask who made the fully-extended diving save to keep LA Tech off the scoreboard.  
 
A few minutes prior to that, Barker subbed back into the game for senior Mylene Roy-Ouellet who had picked up a yellow card. 
 
The forward would strike just 37 seconds into the first OT as Kgoale made a long run through the middle of the field, passing it to junior Kaylee Zettler in the corner of the box.  She made a quick move and drove a low cross to Barker who controlled it on the opposite side and shot it from 10 yards out.  Leask got a hand on it, but the ball found the back of the net for her second goal of the season and first ever game-winner. 
 
The Lady Techsters held a lopsided 26-4 shot advantage.  Senior Makenna Johnson, making her 70th career start, was one of six players to play the full 91 minutes.  Goalkeeper Courtney Tompkins was among those six, registering her first shutout of the season. 
 
The victory extended LA Tech's home unbeaten streak against conference opponents to 11, a streak that dates back to 2016.  They also remain undefeated against UTEP, now owning a 3-0-1 advantage in the series. 
 
LA Tech returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 14 when they host UTSA.  Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
 
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