With the loss, the UH soccer team fell to 4-3-1 on the season, and dropped to 1-3 in conference play in the 2020-21 season. | File Photo
The Houston soccer team was defeated in overtime by the Cincinnati Bearcats in a close American Athletic Conference affair, 1-0, on Wednesday.
The goal scored in the 95th minute by the Bearcats broke the scoreless contest and handed the Cougars their third loss of the season.
This is the third game played by the Cougars that goes to extra time after the 1-0 defeat to ECU and the scoreless draw with UTSA.
The Cougars recorded seven shots, with only one being on the mark by freshman midfielder Adriana Hutson. On the other hand, the Bearcats had 17 shots, with seven of them being on target.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Salma Ghazal was stunning throughout the game, recording six saves and an important intervention after a dangerous Bearcats shot in the final minutes. This save would send the game to overtime.
Ghazal now has 19 saves on the season and has only conceded five goals in 653 minutes played behind goal.
On defense, junior defenders Cassidy Formanek and Emma Clarke both kept the game scoreless heading into overtime with amazing clearances on the Bearcats’ attacks.
Both Formanek and Clarke passed the 600 minutes mark this season, accompanied by Ghazal and senior midfielder Mia Brascia, who has surpassed 500 minutes played. Formanek has led the Cougars in minutes played the past two seasons.
Sophomore midfielder Maddie Dichiara made her first start as a Cougar after transferring from Oklahoma.
Following this defeat, the UH soccer team will face USF at noon on Sunday at Carl Lewis Stadium before continuing their AAC contests against Temple and SMU.
