The Tigers’ quest for an American Athletic Conference tournament four-peat has come to an end after a grueling double-overtime loss against ECU. This result punches the Pirates’ ticket into the NCAA Tournament and puts the hopes of Memphis to return to that stage in serious jeopardy.
The teams started off slowly, feeling each other out and looking for a start to their respective offenses. While no shots were taken in the first ten minutes, the first scoring opportunity for the Pirates came from a corner in the 9th minute. The ball was headed down by Lucy Fazackerley and was saved by Memphis keeper Kaylie Bierman.
The Tigers earned their first chance for points six minutes later. The corner kick for Memphis was easily cleared by the Pirates and a dangerous shot was taken by ECU’s Annabelle Abbott immediately after, but it barely stayed left of the net.
Neither team could break through the other’s defenses to get many chances on goal, only two combined over the next 15 minutes. Both teams are among the elite defensively in the American, giving up less than a goal per game.
As the half winded down, Ashley Henderson earned a free kick and tried to put a rocket in the top left corner. ECU keeper Maeve English made a brilliant leaping save to keep Memphis off the scoreboard as the period ends.
The Tigers came out very aggressive to start the second half, they aimed to get their traditionally high shot volume back to where it needs to be. Ai Kitagawa would take a pair of shots in the 49th to help this area of the offense; while neither of these shots really had a chance, the momentum was crucial in a defensive contest such as this.
Memphis continued to put the clamps on ECU’s offense, not allowing a single shot attempt for the first 30 minutes of the second period. The Pirates took their only chance of this stretch in the 65th minute to finally break the ice. The corner kick sailed over everyone, and the game inched on.
The Tigers would take a trio of corner kicks after this, but none of them resulted in anything substantial. They were also dealing with a shooting drought, which was finally broken in the 77th by Sarah Hagg, but the attempt didn’t have a chance of breaking the tie.
Both teams tried to get anything going as the clock ticks away, but neither squad could find anything much on offense as the game heads for the overtime periods. Next goal wins for either team.
The first overtime period would take the same form as regulation, great defensive play from both teams and few shots to speak of. Ashley Henderson took the opening attempt for Memphis halfway through the period, but it was blocked out of bounds.
About a minute later, Anna Hauer had a chance to seal the game but her first try saved and the second flew way over the net. Abbott then took ECU’s first shot to end the game, but it was denied, and the second overtime period began.
ECU dominated time early in the second OT but did not put a shot up during their chances. As for the Tigers, they did not put up anything during their chances. Annabelle Abbott sealed the game after a scramble near the goal box to give the Pirates their first AAC Title in program history.
