BOX SCORE

WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Down a goal late in the Great American Conference Women’s Soccer Championship, No. 18 and top-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State pulled off a dramatic comeback with two goals in a three-minute span to stun Ouachita Baptist, 2-1, to claim the tournament title Sunday at the Southwestern Oklahoma State Sports Complex.
 
A pair of All-GAC performers found the net in the Bulldog comeback. First-Team forward Kelsey Visor tied the game at one in the 84th minute as she trickled the ball past a sprawling Shelby Shepherd. In the 87th minute First-Team midfielder Jessica Carbonara connected on a blast from 25 yards out for the game-winner, her fourth tally of the season.
 
“It was unbelievable; before I came on, I told a teammate ‘I got this’ and as I was dribbling forward, someone came over so I shot it,” Carbonara said. “It was the best feeling ever –best goal of my career by far.”
 
The game looked for the longest time like it would follow the script of last season’s title contest and head to overtime as neither the Lady Tigers nor the Bulldogs could find the net the first 78 minutes. Southwestern Oklahoma State (19-0-1) had multiple chances, but either missed wide with its best shots or hit them right at Ouachita goalkeeper Shepherd. She made 13 saves Sunday and 22 for the weekend.
 
Despite being outshot for the second game in a row, it looked like Ouachita Baptist (10-8-1) would again win on a late goal. Two days after Sarah Broyles won the semifinal game with a goal in the 78th minute, Abby Emanuel gave the Lady Tigers a 1-0 advantage in the 79th minute after a scramble in front of the net that following a free kick from near midfield. In the two GAC Championship matches, the Lady Tigers nearly pulled through despite losing the shots count by a combined 41-9.
 
“Once we got into the game, I felt like we were doing some good things in the first half, but we just couldn’t find a goal,” Bulldog head coach Mark Persson said. “Once we got late and they got that goal, then all of a sudden, the intensity got turned up a bit. The girls have been very composed through the whole season with the pressure we’ve had on us every game.”
 
Carbonara earned the Tournament MVP honor leading five Bulldogs on the All-Tournament Team. Josie Price, the regular-season Offensive Player of the Year and Kira Bertrand, the Defensive Player of the Year plus Visor and Natalie Crosslin joined Carbonara on the team. Mary Whisenhunt, Lauren Hatch and Carrie Lieblong represented Ouachita with East Central’s Mollie Hummell and Andi Reagan plus Harding’s Hannah Hatcher and Lauren Scharf rounding out the 12-member All-Tournament Team.
 
Southwestern Oklahoma State, who entered the weekend rated fourth in the NCAA Central Region Rankings, will learn its postseason fate Monday at 6:30 p.m. Central time during the NCAA Selection Show. It will stream live at NCAA.com.