GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Carlie Thornber scored the winning goal with 3.9 seconds remaining as Tusculum College defeated King University 2-1 in non-conference women's soccer action Wednesday night at Pioneer Field.
Carlie Thornber Interview | Coach Mike Joy Interview
Thornber was credited with the winning goal after a clearing attempt by King goalkeeper Olivia Drake caromed off her leg and back into the net. The play was set up by a free kick to the Pioneers with 10 seconds remaining that was served into a mass of players jostling for position in the box.
The Pioneers (2-1-0) outshot the Tornado (1-2-0) by a 19-6 margin in the match, including 9-0 in the second half. However, Drake made nine saves in goal for King to keep the contest deadlocked until the waning seconds.
Tusculum had control of the play for most of the first 30 minutes, putting five shots on the King goal. The best opportunities came from Carly Mill, who was denied by Drake on a short-range shot in the 15th minute and again in the 27th minute.
After Paula Doran was denied on back-to-back chances in the 33rd minute, she put the Tornado got on the board in the 36th minute as she collected a service in the box from Ami Martins and fired long side against Pioneer keeper Miriah Martin for a 1-0 lead.
Tusculum leveled the score in the 39th minute as Lindsey Kelly, who came on the field 90 seconds earlier, collected a loose ball in the box and chipped a shot over Drake for a 1-1 tie at 39:13.
The Pioneers outshot the Tornado 10-6 in the first half, and had a 4-0 edge in corner kicks. Drake finished with five saves for the Tornado in the first half, while Martin had a pair for the Pioneers.
Until the goal by Thornber, the best scoring chance in the second half came with just under four minutes to go. A corner kick by the Pioneers' Olivia Kilgore was punched out by Drake, but onto the foot of Tusculum's Alex Valeri who fired a shot off the crossbar.
For the match, the Pioneers had a 6-0 edge in corner kicks while the Tornado were called for 10 of the 15 fouls. Martin's two first-half saves were the only scoring chances she saw in the contest for the Pioneers, while Drake followed up her five stops in the opening half with four more in the second half.
Tusculum will venture onto the road for the first time this season on Friday night with a match across the state at Union. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern time.
