Greulich's Hat Trick Not Enough in Trojan Loss

MURRAY, Ky. – Doro Greulich had one of the best offensive days in program history with three goals to force overtime, but Murray State was able to claim the victory in the extra period on Friday afternoon.
 
With Little Rock trailing Murray State 3-1 late in the second half, Greulich scored her second and third goals of the day three minutes apart to tie the contest and force overtime at Cutchin Field.
 
But just 50 seconds into overtime, Harriet Withers scored her second goal of the game to give the home team a 4-3 victory.
 
The Racers scored two first-half goals and held a 2-1 lead at the break thanks to a 37th-minute goal by Greulich. In the 60th minute, the Murray State scored a goal that looked for a while like it may have put the game away.

That's when Greulich took over.
 
In the 74th minute, the German sophomore ricocheted a cross off the Murray State keeper to force a corner kick. Jaclyn Purvine took the corner kick, and Greulich was in the perfect position this time to redirect the kick into the net.
 
Three minutes later, Greulich took a crafty free kick from just outside the penalty area. With the Racers' wall giving Greulich an angle on the left side, she kept her free kick on the ground so the Murray State goalie couldn't see the ball until it was too late. Greulich's kick banked into the net off the left post.
 
Greulich's hat trick was the first for Little Rock since Shannon Shields scored one against UAPB exactly two years earlier. Little Rock had not recorded a hat trick against a non-SWAC school since Ariel Galletti scored three goals against Chicago State on Aug. 22, 2014. Greulich's hat trick is just the 14th recorded in team history.
 
Over the final 13 minutes of Friday's game, the teams exchanged chances but neither could put a fourth goal on the board.
 
Then, less than a minute into overtime, Withers made a strong individual effort, corralling the ball outside the penalty area a placing it perfectly into the far right side of the net.
 
The game was fairly even statistically with Murray State holding a 22-17 edge in total shots and a 12-9 edge in shots on goal. Trojan keeper Megan Swanson set a new career high with eight saves while Murray State's Alex Steigerwald had six.
 
Murray State got a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute on a goal by Aaron Lankster. Her Racer teammate ran the ball down the right side of the field and crossed it into the penalty box where another Racer deflected the cross backward. Lankster was the only player in the area, and she had an open shot at the net. Her shot went just past the diving Swanson, bounced off the left post and went into the net.
 
Twelve minutes later, the Racers doubled their lead on a strike by Miyah Watford.
 
Greulich got the Trojans back in striking distance in the 37th minute with a great individual effort, beating two Murray State defenders and running the ball down the right sideline. Greulich cut inward and took a sharp-angle shot, and Steigerwald had the shot deflect off her left shoulder and into the net.
 
The Trojans return to the field on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn.