MONMOUTH – The way Alyssa Morin’s overtime shot curled into the corner of the net, it looked as though it might be her specialty shot.

The truth is, the sophomore fullback didn’t have a trick shot she was saving for the right moment, but she might have one now.

“That’s actually the first time I’ve ever scored,” said Morin. “So it’s big for me.”

Morin’s goal with 3:13 left in the second overtime lifted Monmouth to a 2-1 victory over Hall-Dale in soccer Thursday. The Mustangs shook off some rust and rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the first half. Monmouth also had to overcome the loss of forward Jenn Lola, who was taken off in an ambulance with an ankle injury late in the first overtime.

“I just wanted to end the game,” said Morin. “I was thinking that it’s been a long day. One of our best players got hurt. The thought going through my head was that I had to do this for my team and put it in the goal and win the game.”

After Katie Woodman was knocked down just outside the box, Cortney Barrett was about to take the direct kick, but Monmouth coach Steve Bodge instructed Morin to take it. Her high shot sailed to the right upper corner.

“I knew she had a good high loft,” said Bodge. “I saw the keeper was sneaking out a little bit. So I told her to lift it as high as she could, and hopefully it would go in. There were too many people in there to try to get anything going. Luckily, it was low enough and just went under the bar. It was a great shot.”

Morin was one of four Monmouth fullbacks, including Sam Bachelder, Brittany Hilton and Courtney McFarren, that played the entire game. That included overcoming a 45-minute delay after Lola hurt her ankle in a collision with Hall-Dale keeper Alison Godbout. That injury came a day after Bethany Neal, a Monmouth keeper, injured her wrist and two days after a tough overtime stalemate with Mt. Abram.

“It was a big win for us to get over that and get back on our winning streak,” said Morin.

Hall-Dale (2-5) had more tenacity early and took a 1-0 lead at 9:40 on a Michelle Severance goal. Monmouth (6-1-1) struggled to get its intensity going but tied the game with 18:01 left in the half on a Lola goal from the left side.

Monmouth brought Barrett out of the net in the second half and helped spark things. Brittany Rac did a fine job in net in her first varsity appearance. Rac beat Severance to a loose ball on a near breakaway and made stops on Brittany Ladner and Amy Skillings. Hall-Dale’s Lindsey Nytray had an open net at the left side and put the shot over the net wiht 11:48 left.

Monmouth had a number of opportunities as well. Godbout stopped a bid by Brittany Scirica and made a sprawling stop on Barrett at the left corner.

“I told them before the game that I was very nervous about this game,” said Bodge. “This one really scared me, and it went exactly the way I thought it would go. As a matter of fact, I thought we might lose because they were certainly hungry.”