Oakland Women’s Soccer Advances to Horizon League Semifinals Behind Overtime Heroics from Anderson
- Jonathan Turner
- Nov 3
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Oakland Women’s Soccer Advances to Horizon League Semifinals Behind Overtime Heroics from Anderson
YOUNGSTOWN, OH — The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are heading to the Horizon League Semifinals for the first time since 2021 after a dramatic 1-0 overtime victory against Youngstown State on the road. Mallory Anderson delivered the decisive moment, scoring the golden goal in the 98th minute to lift Oakland past the Penguins.
From the opening whistle, Oakland set the tempo and pushed forward with confidence. Early chances from Alli Leonard and Mallory Anderson tested the Penguins’ backline, while goalkeeper Maryn Weiger stood tall, denying a close-range shot by Youngstown State’s Kate Makkas in the 20th minute.
Both sides exchanged opportunities through the first half, with Kimee Liu coming close to breaking the deadlock in the 40th minute. Despite a strong offensive showing, the teams entered halftime scoreless at 0–0.
The second half saw Oakland continue to apply pressure, highlighted by a 46th-minute corner kick and a dangerous chance from Anuhea Aluli. The Golden Grizzlies dominated possession and nearly found the net multiple times—Ella Shapiro narrowly missed on a free kick attempt in the 59th minute, and Liu struck the crossbar in the 87th minute. With both defenses holding firm, the match extended into overtime.
In the extra period, Weiger remained sharp under pressure, recording five total saves to preserve the clean sheet. The breakthrough finally came when Brae Cole fired a shot off the crossbar, and Anderson pounced on the rebound, burying her fourth goal of the season to seal the 1-0 golden goal victory.
The win marks Oakland’s first Horizon League Tournament triumph and semifinal berth since 2021, when they defeated Northern Kentucky 3–1 in the quarterfinals.
Stat Leaders:
Maryn Weiger: 5 saves, 98 minutes, 3rd shutout of the season
Mallory Anderson: 1 goal, 5 shots (3 on target)
Brae Cole: 1 assist, pivotal setup on the game-winner
Kimee Liu: 3 shots, active in midfield play
The Golden Grizzlies advance to face top-seeded Milwaukee in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) in Milwaukee.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREMIER MEDIA GROUP / NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK /
NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561215500230
— All Rights Reserved, Premier Media Group / National Soccer Network
Comments