'Humongous' Win For CMU Soccer

Sunday, September 22

Lexington, Ky.

2 p.m.

Central Michigan University

3-0-2, 0-0-0

Kentucky

5-3-2, 0-1-0

Central Michigan

Kentucky

Freshman Lauren DeBeau's goal with just 2 seconds remaining in overtime lifted CMU to a dramatic 2-1 victory on Sunday at Kentucky.

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

9/22/2019 5:42:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score

Chippewas knock off Kentucky, remain unbeaten heading into MAC play

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A milestone victory on a milestone goal.

Freshman Lauren DeBeau scored on a corner kick with just 2 seconds remaining in overtime on Sunday as the Central Michigan soccer team knocked off Kentucky, 2-1, in the Chippewas' final nonconference game of the season.

The win kept CMU unbeaten at 3-0-2.

It was also a happy homecoming for first-year CMU coach Jeremy Groves, who played at and later served as an assistant coach at Kentucky. It was the Chippewas' first extra-time win of the season; they are 1-0-2 in such contests.

"This win is humongous for us," Groves said. "It's humongous for our confidence and our recruiting.

"We told the girls all week that this is going to put us on the map. It's such a big win for our program. Going into next week, with the start of conference play, I said all along this is what we want to build. We want to build the program where we're the big dogs and (opponents know) we're coming into town.

"I'm so proud of the girls today. Their effort was unreal. Full credit to our team. They were the ones who went out there and executed, and they did what we asked them to do."

How It Happened
Kentucky got the game's first goal in the 59^th minute. The Chippewas tied it less than seven minutes later when Cami Taylor scored unassisted. It was the first career goal for Taylor, who is also a freshman.

DeBeau's corner with just two seconds left in overtime found the net. The corner kick was set up when the Chippewas raced in on a breakaway and their shot deflected off a defender and out of bounds.

"As the ball went out, there was about 20 seconds left on the clock," Groves said. "We were screaming for someone to go over and take the corner. DeBeau pretty much bent it in from the corner flag, and it went into the goal."

Earlier in the season against Northwestern, DeBeau had a similar opportunity to win the game with time winding down on a corner kick. Her shot found the back of the net, but it happened after time expired.

In Goal
CMU senior Zoie Reed posted three saves.

Next
The Chippewas open Mid-American Conference play next weekend with two road games, the first at Ball State on Friday, Sept. 25 (5 p.m.), and the second at Miami (Ohio) on Sunday, Sept. 27 (1 p.m.).