RUSTON, La. (Aug. 17, 2018) – The Louisiana Tech women's soccer team fought high winds and wet conditions to defeat Texas State in a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory in the 2018 season-opener on Friday night at the Lady Techster Soccer Complex.
 
Kaylee Zettler played the role of hero for the Lady Techsters on Friday night as the junior was responsible for both goals, one in the 19th minute and then the game-winner in the 103rd minute to start the 2018 season on a high note.
 
"I was always taught to be in the right place at the right time," Sherry said. "That is your job as a striker. We drew that up. We went with two wingers and changed our game plan in the second half. We said we would get in wide positions. I told Kaylee when the winger beats her player, wait in the middle and as she puts the cross in, move to the near post and that is exactly what she did."
 
In a match that was originally scheduled to start at 7 p.m., inclement weather in the area forced a delay 20 minutes before kickoff as both teams were ordered to vacate the pitch, pushing the start time to 7:35 p.m.
 
Once the match was underway, Texas State applied pressure early after Kaylee Davis intercepted a Lady Techster pass and scored an uncontested goal in the lower left corner of the net just 45 seconds into the match for a 1-0 lead.
 
Twenty-five minutes later, LA Tech regrouped and scored the equalizer thanks to Kaylee Zettler (assisted by Mylene Roy-Ouellet) following a blocked shot by the Bobcats in the box to knot the game at 1-1 in the first half of action.
 
"We just talked about how for the first five or ten minutes, don't try and play our normal game," head coach Kevin Sherry said. "Let's try to play a little bit longer, get the ball out into their half, push them back so we can ease ourselves into the game. Because of nerves or whatever reason, we did not do that. But we were able to come back from it and it was great.
 
In the first half, the Lady Techsters totaled seven shots, four of which were on goal, while Texas State equaled that total with three shots on goal.
 
Both teams played equally hard in a physical second half, as defense prevailed sending both teams to overtime.
 
With nothing doing for either side in the first ten minutes of overtime, the Lady Techsters relied on their striker to send them home victorious. Stella Li sent a long pass up the left side to a running Connor Barker, who centered the ball into the box, where Zettler pounded a one-timer into the back of the net from about eight yards out, ending the match.
 
LA Tech continues its home weekend with a matchup against Northwestern State on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Lady Techster Soccer Complex.
 
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