“It was very nerve-wracking,” Bäck said. “I just tried to focus, tune everything out, calm myself down and act like it was just another shot.”
That was no easy task as the Flyer faithful were on their feet. But Bäck, who led the Atlantic 10 in shots this season, was on the money, connecting just to the right of Marquette goalkeeper Natalie Kulla.
While it was technically a 0-0 game, Dayton won the shootout 4-3 to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament in front of a crowd of 1,083 at Baujan Field on Friday, Nov. 13.
“We’ve been a great defensive team all season and you saw that again tonight,” Dayton coach Mike Tucker said. “And with (Katherine Boone) in net for the shootout, I’m feeling like we’re winning.”
Boone, who leads the nation in goals-against-average with .301, stopped the Golden Eagles’ Stephanie Vasos on Marquette’s first kick and denied Ashley Bares in the fourth round. “It’s like a 50/50 chance but I knew I had to go in there confident,” Boone said.
After a slow start, it was the Golden Eagles who had the offensive edge, outshooting the Flyers 19-11 through two overtime periods. The Flyers face third-seeded Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. Sunday, also on their home field. The Hokies beat Murray State 2-0 Friday.
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