Trailing the whole way, including by three goals with under 25 minutes left in regulation, the Tompkins Cortland women's soccer team staged a remarkable comeback Sunday, rallying to tie Finger Lakes Community College 5-5. After two scoreless overtime periods made the official result a tie, the Panthers won the penalty kicks, which will be used for playoff seeding purposes, 5-4. The Panthers are now 3-5-1 overall and 0-2-1 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference. Finger Lakes is 7-5-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the MSAC.
Finger Lakes entered the game on a roll, having won six games in a row by a combined score of 47-4. Early on Sunday, it looked like the Lakers would remain hot, with the home team scoring twice in the first 23 minutes of play. The Panthers cut into the lead with a goal by Shannon DeRosa (Poughquag/Arlington H.S.) off an assist from Elise Clavel (Ithaca/Lehman Alternative Community School) in the 26 the minute. Finger Lakes answered with another goal before the half, and then scored again early in the second to move in front 4-1.
Cristina Torres (Ellenville/Ellenville H.S.) made it 4-2 with a score off an assist from Paris Good (Syracuse/Ithaca H.S.), but the Lakers took just 25 seconds to answer, making it 5-2 with 23:30 left in regulation. The margin remained three goals for only two minutes before the Panthers started to rally.
With 21:34 left in the second half, Clavel scored off an assist from DeRosa to make it 5-3. With 15 minutes left, Clavel connected on a direct kick to make it 5-4, and then with just under two minutes left, the Panthers earned a penalty kick. When Clavel delivered, the game was tied at 5-5 and headed to overtime. Two scoreless ten-minute periods ended with the game still at 5-5, making the official result a tie for both teams. For a potential playoff-seeding tiebreaker, the teams went to a shootout, which the Panthers won 5-4.
Clavel finished with her first collegiate hat trick, scoring three goals and an assist. Goalkeeper Kerrin O'Shaughnessy (Worcester/Worcester H.S.) had nine saves on the day for the Panthers.
Next up for the Panthers will be a home game against Cayuga Community College on Wednesday.