The New York University women's soccer team opened University Athletic Association (UAA) play with a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory against #10 Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, October 5, at Gaelic Park in Riverdale, NY.

The Violets (8-2, 1-0 UAA) handed the #10-ranked Spartans (9-1, 0-1) their first loss of the season.

The teams battled throughout regulation and into a second overtime period without either one able to solve the opponent goalkeeper. There were chances for both squads, but neither the Violets' Meghan Marhan (Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen Ridge) nor the Spartans' Lauren Unterhorn could be solved.

Finally, with just over seven minutes left in the second overtime session, NYU's Cora Creighton (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich Academy) was taken down in the box while rushing the net, and the Violets were awarded a penalty kick.

Head Coach Michele Canning chose Nikki Lee (Hillsborough, CA/Crystal Springs Uplands School) to take the kick.

"We practice the kicks and I wanted someone who hadn't taken one yet so they would not have had any film to look at and see what our tendencies might be," Canning explained. 

Lee, a sophomore who had not yet scored a goal in her career, calmly slipped the ball past Unterhorn and into the bottom left corner of the net.

"This was the best way to score my first career goal," Lee said. "I knew Coach wanted me to take it and I know I really wanted to take it."

Marhan finished with four saves in recording her fifth shutout of the season.

The Violets were more aggressive offensively throughout, winning the battle in shots (13-11), shots on goal (6-4) and corner kicks (5-2), while the defense stifled the previously-unbeaten Spartans.

"I think our defense was the key to the win," Canning said. "Starting from the forwards, moving to the midfield and into the back across the board we were solid."

The Violets return to the pitch on Tuesday, October 8, when they travel to Wayne, NJ, to face William Paterson University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.