The Incarnate Word women's soccer team handled their first road trip of the 2011 season with a 2-1 overtime victory against Texas A&M International on Wednesday, getting more offense from their young scorers Amber Guenther and Sarah Johnson.
UIW (2-0) and International (0-3) played through a scoreless first half before both teams found the back of the net early in the second.
Guenther scored her team-leading third goal of the season in the 53rd minute by ripping a shot ten yards out to the far post for the 1-0 lead. She had scored twice in the Cardinals' 4-0 season-opening victory over Washburn University.
TAMIU, however, responded just a few minutes later, equalizing the game, 1-1, when a shot bounced off the Cardinal crossbar and the trash was gathered up by Kristen Jennings.
The score remained tied after regulation and the teams then went to overtime where freshman Sarah Johnson scored just a minute in when she put her foot on a loose ball in the International penalty area that had bounced off the goalkeeper.
It was Johnson's second goal on the year, she also scored in the season-opener against Washburn.
From there on, the Cardinals played solid defense and kept TAMIU at bay until the final horn came after the second OT period (Division II does not have the Golden Goal rule – the teams play two ten-minute extra periods).
Lost in all the scoring action was senior goalkeeper Tori Puentes's second victory of the season. She made two saves in her first game since being named the Lone Star Conference Goalkeeper of the Week late Wednesday afternoon.
The Cardinals will be back in action at Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium on Friday night in a 6 p.m. contest against visiting Truman State University (1-1). The women's match is the first half of a UIW Soccer Doubleheader that evening – the men face Lindenwood University immediately following the women's game.
