PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Simmons College women's soccer team was edged in overtime by host Johnson & Wales University, 2-1, this evening in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match at the Scotts MG Complex in Providence, R.I. The Sharks fall to 8-8-0 overall and 7-3-0 in league play, while the Wildcats win their fifth straight league match to improve to 10-6-1 and 8-1-1. 

The match was evenly played with Johnson & Wales owning a 12-10 shot advantage. Prior to the match, JWU had only scored one goal against Simmons since 2011. The last time it scored multiple goals versus the Sharks was October 11, 2010 when the Wildcats won, 3-2.

The Wildcats scored the game-winner with just 72 seconds left in overtime. Junior midfielder Sara Kate Matthews (Northborough, Mass.) took a pass from sophomore forward Kyra Selner (Sterling, Va.) and fired into the upper 90 from the top of the box for the victory.

Simmons wasted no time gaining the lead, scoring just 21 seconds after the opening whistle of the first half. Senior forward Greer Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) found sophomore forward Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.) for her team-leading 11th marker of the season for a 1-0 edge.

Johnson & Wales answered in the 39th minutes when Selner got JWU on the board at 38:12 of the opening half when she put back her own shot on a rebound to make it 1-1.

Senior keeper Briana Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.) made six saves for the Sharks. Senior goalie Alex Place (East Greenwich, R.I.) faced just one shot on net for the Wildcats.

Simmons will be in action again on Saturday, October 24 when it travels to Paxton, Mass. to take on Anna Maria College in a 2:00 p.m. GNAC match, while Johnson & Wales alsp wraps up conference action on Saturday, whenit travels to West Haven, Conn. to play Albertus Magnus College for a 5:30 p.m. showdown.