BOX SCORE WESTERVILLE, Ohio - Visiting Capital held a two-goal lead in the second half, but #15 Otterbein charged back for a 3-2 win in double overtime during the OAC women's soccer regular season finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon. CU will now be the fifth seed in the OAC Tournament which begins with a First Round match on Monday at Wilmington beginning at 7 p.m.
The Crusaders (12-6-2, 6-3-0 OAC) nearly added another notch onto a season-long four match-winning streak before the Cardinals (16-1-1, 8-0-1 OAC) scored three unanswered goals including the game winner with less than two minutes left in the final overtime period. With the win, OC won the OAC Regular Season Title.
Capital started the scoring in the 39th minute when junior Lauren Bartsch (Milford, Ohio/Milford HS) fired a shot off the Otterbein keeper and out of play for a Crusader corner kick. Senior Natasha Ballard (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg HS) served the ball into the box which got free from the defense and on to sophomore Tara Zimmer (Vandalia, Ohio/Vandalia-Butler HS) who found the back of the net for a 1-0 CU advantage.
The Crusaders carried their momentum into the second half when senior Katie Robinson (Grove City, Ohio/Bishop Ready HS) drilled home a goal of her own from 20 yards out in the 48th minute for a 2-0 Capital lead.
No. 15 Otterbein would respond just 21 seconds later when Rachel Degen found Lindsey Rudibaugh for a goal just inside the left post to put the Capital advantage back to just one goal at 2-1.
After Capital had three more shots turned away in the second half, Otterbein forced a corner kick in the 88th minute. When CU tried to clear the ball out of the box, Rudibaugh stole the ball for OC and scored with just 99 seconds left in regulation to force overtime with score tied at 2-2.
The Cardinals would eventually win in the second overtime when Adrienne Novak fed a through ball to Tara Smith who scored just 1:56 away from the end of the match for a 3-2 Otterbein loss.
Junior Linley Vermillion (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont HS) made eight saves for Capital which will be playing on Monday for a chance to take on Otterbein in a rematch during the OAC Semifinal on Wednesday at 2 p.m..