YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Freshman defender Rachel Garvey scored the overtime game-winning goal to lift the Niagara women's soccer team to a 2-1 win at Youngstown on Sunday afternoon.  

The opening minutes of extra time saw the momentum shift towards the Purple Eagles (2-3) as Niagara had three early looks on net.  In the 93rd minute, freshman midfielder Maria Siegrist-Gabas launched a direct kick into the box that was knocked into the goal by Garvey for her first collegiate tally, handing the Penguins (4-1)  their first loss of the season.  

 

"I'm very proud of the effort that we put forth today," head coach Peter Veltri said.  "We gave up a bad goal at the end of the first half, but we fought hard to tie and eventually win it in OT.  They play a different style of soccer then we are used to, but we did a good job of staying focused and playing our game"

The Penguins came out firing in the opening 45 minutes of play, peppering freshman goalkeeper Claire Feiertag with nine shots.  Youngstown took the lead with less than a minute left in the opening half when forward Katie Hohmann scored off an assist by defender Katie Peterlin.  

Down 1-0, Niagara senior midfielder Julianne Viviano put the Purple Eagles on the scoreboard as she scored on a corner kick from Siegrist-Gabas in the 68th minute of play.  Raepple beat Youngstown's goalie Ali Viola to the right corner for her first goal of the year.  
 
Feiretag finished the game stopping five Youngstown shots.  Senior forward Jamie Raepple took six shots while senior midfielder Michaela DiFazio and Garvey each contributed two shots. 

The Purple Eagles return to Monteagle Ridge next weekend for the 2012 NU Fall Classic.  Niagara will play St. Francis (Pa.) on Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. and Robert Morris on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.