Photo of the Women's Soccer team dogpiling Celia Braun after beating Lehigh in penalty kicks.
Jon Ratner
2
Lehigh LEH (7-5-5, 4-4-1 PL)
2
BU BU (7-6-6, 4-3-2 PL)
Lehigh LEH
(7-5-5, 4-4-1 PL)
2
Final
2
BU BU
(7-6-6, 4-3-2 PL)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Lehigh LEH 1 1 0 0 2
BU BU 1 1 0 0 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Terriers Advance to PL Semifinals in Thriller Over Lehigh

BOSTON – Senior Kayla Ross tallied her first-career goal, sophomore Giulianna Gianino leveled the score in the 78th minute, and junior goalkeeper Celia Braun made four stops in a penalty kick shootout to lift the fourth-seeded Boston University women's soccer program over fifth-ranked Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal round on Sunday afternoon at Nickerson Field.
 
Both teams were tied 2-2 after regulation, and did not score in either overtime frame. Gianino and the Mountain Hawks' Emma Roesing converted on each side before sophomore Margy Porta found the back of the net in the fourth round. Braun denied Ava Schaller in the final round to lift the Terriers in penalty kicks, 2-1.
 
Gianino potted her team-leading seventh goal of the season, while Ross' strike came in her 80th career appearance. Braun collected four saves.
 
Aminah Baruwa tallied Lehigh's lone goal, with the other coming on an own goal. Maggie Ousouljoglou made nine stops between the posts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • BU opened the game with consecutive shots in the third minute, but Gianino's try was blocked, then sophomore Natalie Godoy sent a chance high.
  • The Terriers generated a corner kick in the 11th, where Gianino's insert went directly to Ross near the right post for the one-timer past Ousouljoglou to make it 1-0 BU.
  • Lehigh equalized in the 31st minute when Hope Flanegin's cross from the right corner down Baruwa down the middle for the goal.
  • Ousouljoglou made two consecutive close-range stops in the 33rd minute, and remained in the game after being shaken up following freshman Kaiya Stewart's opportunity.
  • Braun slid to her right to deny Flanegin in the 37th minute, recording her first save on the day.
  • In the 53rd minute, after junior Morgan Fagan's shot was blocked, sophomore Mackenzie Stickelman whipped a bouncing shot on Ousouljoglou, who snared the save.
  • The Mountain Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the 58th minute when Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Ryelle Shuey tried to head in a corner kick. On the clear attempt, multiple Terriers deflected the ball before it struck the netting right near the crossbar.
  • BU found the equalizer in the 78th minute when Godoy drew a foul inside the box. Gianino elected to take the kick, tucking her shot into the right post to knot the match at 2-2.
  • Senior Abigail McNulty nearly put the Terriers on top in the 88th minute, turning atop the box for a shot onto Ousouljoglou, who redirected it past the end line. Lehigh cleared the ensuing Terrier corner.
  • Sophia Lis had an open chance in the 93rd minute after sneaking past BU's back line, but she tapped the shot off the left post.
  • In the 109th minute, McNulty raced into the box to coax Ousouljoglou into batting away her shot. The Lehigh netminder then punched away Gianino's corner kick.
  • Braun denied Shuey in the first penalty shootout round, while Gianino deposited the Terriers' first try.
  • Roesing answered in the second round to level it, 1-1.
  • Alex Odle couldn't find the back of the net in the fourth round, while Porta blasted her chance into the lower-right corner to make it 2-1.
  • Braun was there to send away Schaller's shot, and her teammates mobbed her inside the 18-yard box. 
STATS
  • Shots favored the Terriers, 22-17, including an 11-6 advantage in shots on target.
  • Each team recorded eight corner kicks.
  • Lehigh sustained two yellow cards in the match.
  • Nine of BU's starting eleven played 90 or more minutes.
  • Braun, Stickelman, and seniors Grace Ferrara and Lily Matthews played the full 110 minutes. 
NOTES
  • BU advances to its 10th Patriot League semifinal appearance in 11 seasons as a league member.
  • The Terriers are now 3-0 all-time in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Tournament.
  • Prior to Sunday, BU last advanced to the next round on penalty kicks against Colgate in the 2013 Patriot League semifinal round in Annapolis, Md. The last time it occurred at home was in the 2003 America East championship game vs. Maine.
  • Ross had five assists in her career prior to scoring her first-career goal. She is the first defender to score for BU in 2023.
  • The Terriers are now undefeated in 10 matches this year (7-0-3) when Gianino collects a point.
  • Gianino also scored the game-tying goal on a penalty kick in the regular season matchup against Lehigh back on Sept. 24.
  • BU is now 5-0-1 all-time at home against Lehigh, and 7-1-4 overall.
UP NEXT
  • The fourth-seeded Terriers trek to second-ranked Bucknell in a rematch of last season's Patriot League semifinal round on Thursday (Nov. 2) with a championship game berth up for grabs. Opening kick is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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