Nicole Robinson

Two days after a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to conference rival UW-Oshkosh Friday, the UW-Eau Claire women’s soccer team squeezed out a 1-0 double overtime victory over Carleton (Minn.) on Parents Day Sunday at Bollinger Field.

Junior Marcia Foltz’s penalty kick in the 102nd minute was the difference for the Blugolds, back to .500 at 5-5.

“We played a tough 90 minutes,” Foltz said. “Everyone just relaxed, and we just had to pull ourselves together and finish the game.”

The Blugolds had a couple golden chances to take a lead in the second half, but thanks to two saves by Carleton goalie Jenna Bernhardson, they came away empty-handed.

With the game seemingly headed toward a 0-0 tie, the Blugolds got the penalty kick call, heavily disputed by the Carleton bench, to go its way in the early minutes of the second overtime.

“We knew that if we came out playing 100 percent, winning the 50-50 balls, and put out passes together and got shots on goal that we could win,” Foltz said. “After the loss against Oshkosh, we knew we really had to bounce back and pick our heads up.”

The ‘Golds’ theme coming into the game was simple: If they can’t score, we can’t lose.

Coach Sean Yengo made a few lineup switches to enhance the Blugolds’ defense, and it paid off in the end, as sophomore goalie Annie Scharenbroich and the Eau Claire defense pitched its third shutout in four games.

“We wanted to have a stronger defense, because we knew that if we prevent goals, we wouldn’t be able to lose,” Foltz said. “Offensively, it didn’t work out as well, but defensively, it did work out.”

Friday, the Blugolds faced conference rival Oshkosh along with miserable weather conditions – cold temperatures, rain and a swirling wind.

With the score tied 1-1 and less than six minutes remaining, Oskosh’s Nicole Kunick scored on a breakaway 2-on-1 situation, giving the Titans a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

“That (goal) was the one that put us away,” Yengo said. “But that was a game where we had some very good chances, both in the first half and the second half, and in a close game have to capitalize.”

Two of those chances came off the foot of Foltz. The first shot went off the post, then off the hands of Oshkosh goalie Christine Wojtanowski, then hit the post again and finally was corralled by Wojtanowski.

Then, just before the Titans shot the winning goal in the second half, Foltz narrowly missed a shot to the right that would have given the Blugolds the lead.

Freshman Becky Sitter tied the game 1-1 early in the second half off a corner kick, one of seven by the Blugolds.

It was Sitter’s third goal of the season.

Yengo was not about to use the cold, driving rain and wind as an excuse for the loss.

“Both teams have to play the conditions,” he said. “We knew in the second half we were going to have the wind at our backs and have better chances, but once again, you have to capitalize.”

The loss dropped the Blugolds to 1-1 in conference play.