PALATINE, Ill. – Playing with just nine girls for a stretch of their match on Wednesday, the Harper College women's soccer team led Joliet 2-1 but a late goal sent the match into overtime before Joliet eventually tallied the match-winner nine minutes into the extra session to win 3-2.

“I was happy with the girls' effort playing with just nine players,” said head coach Dwayne Cruz.  “Put against this team in October for the playoffs with a healthy squad, this team won't touch us.”

Elizabeth Tapia (Hanover Park, Ill., Schaumburg) put Harper (3-2) up a goal early on as she took a feed from Leah Tednes (Hoffman Estates, Ill., Hoffman Estates), scoring on a cross shot over the Wolves' keeper.

Joliet (2-3) answered near the end of the first half but the Hawks responded midway through the second half.  Chloe Takala (Hoffman Estates, Ill., Fremd) sent a shot at the Joliet crossbar and it deflected off the keeper and into the net.

Harper was already playing a man down because of a red card against South Suburban on Tuesday, but when Samantha Rill (Hoffman Estates, Ill., Schaumburg) suffered an injury in the second half, the Hawks were playing two players down.

The Wolves scored with less than two minutes left in regulation to tie the game and then the golden-goal in overtime to leave Palatine victorious.

“I'm proud of them but mad about the mental errors,” Cruz said.  “Their goals were scored because we were tired.  We have to give everything the entire game to be successful.”

Harper gets a much-needed break in the schedule as the Hawks will look to be back at full strength by the time their next game comes around, September 23 at Milwaukee Area Technical College.  The team may not even have to play that game as the Stormers were forced to forfeit the schools' first meeting on August 31 due to lack of players.  If the teams don't play, Harper will travel to Rochester Technical College to take on the Yellow Jackets on September 24 and 25.