WSU wins in OT, reaches women's soccer semis for first time

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mykiaa Minniss volleyed in a corner kick from Hanna Goff from just in front of the net in the 96th minute as Washington State upset No. 2 seed South Carolina 1-0 in overtime on Friday to reach the Women’s College Cup for the first time in program history.

Washington State (16-6-1) will play North Carolina (23-1-1) next Friday at 4 p.m. in the first semifinal game at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Stanford (22-1-0) and UCLA (18-4-1) will play in game two with the Pac-12 becoming just the second conference (third time) to send three teams to the College Cup.

“I usually have to stay back to defend and I went to (coach) Todd (Shulenberger) and I was like, ‘Let me go, let me go,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, go ahead,’” Minniss said of the game-winning goal. “I just came in super late so they didn’t see me. As soon as the ball came to me, all that was running through my head was like, ‘Oh, you got this, oh, you got this,’ and then it went in and everybody was chasing me. I was like, ‘Oh gosh, I can’t believe I just did that.’”

WSU was playing in the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.

South Carolina finished 19-2-3.

Bridget Rieken, a freshman from Lake City, started at center back for the 14th straight game, and played all 96 minutes for WSU.