The soccer team went into overtime for the second-straight match against the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Friday evening and won 1-0.

Senior forward Dylan Owens scored the one and only goal of the game two minutes into overtime. Owens managed to slide it past UTRGV goalkeeper Kinga Szemik for her first goal of the season.

Owens said she felt a huge sigh of relief after scoring the winning goal.

“I don’t think anyone on the team questioned if we would win,” Owens said. “That’s why we scored early in overtime and won the game.”

ACU’s offense had another slow start but managed to take 12 shots in the final 47 minutes of the game. Ten different Wildcats had shot attempts.

The winning goal started from redshirt sophomore defender Megan Paul who pushed it to senior midfielder/forward Sophie Standifer, who moved past the defenders giving the ball to junior forward Samantha Vestal. Vestal then sent the ball to senior midfielder Chelsea Reedy, who passed Owens a breakaway ball. She took her shot and buried it into the back of the net.

Vestal said although the game remained tied until overtime, she knew her team was in control of the match.

“We had so many chances,” Vestal said, “but I knew that the game was in our hands and we were well prepared – not nervous at all – just determined.”

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Rachel Johnson had another outstanding game in the net, saving all eight shots on goal.

Last year ACU played two games in overtime within the regular season and won both. Now the team finds itself at 2-0 in overtime only three games into the season.

With the win, ACU is now 2-1 on the season, while UTRGV slips to 1-2.

The Wildcats will next face Texas Tech in Lubbock Sunday. The team last faced the Red Raiders in 2016 and lost 3-1.

ACU took five shots on goal in that game, and Owens, then a sophomore, and Vestal, then a freshman, each had one of them.

The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. at John B. Walker Soccer Complex.