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CLEVELAND, Ga. – It only took just over four minutes into overtime for Joanna Funes to engrave herself into Truett McConnell women's soccer lore. The sophomore, for the third time this season, struck for the game-winning score to push TMU past Columbia International 3-2 (OT).
 
It's the first come-from-behind victory in a season with 16 wins total, marking the sixth consecutive season the team has reached the win total. Truett also continues the statistic of making the final four in every AAC Tournament appearance in program history.
 
Along with the legendary goal by Funes, Lena Poulain and Salome Deneubourg also joined in on the total team effort. Deneubourg's score came less than two minutes after the Rams took the late lead. Agathe Braud also collected a point with an assist on Poulain's score.
 
As a team, TMU powered 20 shots with nine on target while CIU produced seven, with the only two on goal being scores. Goalkeeper Hailey Resetar gave the Lady Bears everything she had, making six saves and stopping multiple crossers to force the overtime period. Both teams had four corner kicks and the two sides combined for 14 fouls, the Rams with nine and the home team with five.
 
An early foul by CIU gave Truett possession and gave Isabella Hodson chances early, but her prime opportunity in the second minute sailed high as her second shot in minute five was stopped by Resetar.
 
In the 12^th minute, CIU started the pressure with a corner kick which resulted in no shots. However, two minutes later, Lauren Jackson provided a high-quality crosser to give Lily Jackson the shot to put Columbia International up early. It was the first time TMU trailed in a game since Aug. 31 vs. Southeastern.
 
The Lady Bears got the ball back and forced a corner kick with Eva Mordick. A header attempt by Deneubourg went over the crossbar to keep the home team behind. Funes tried for her score in the 21^st minute from the center, but the ball went off a blocking Ram.
 
A shot by top offensive threat Lohrane Boaventura was stopped by a Lady Bear defender before TMU flipped the field quickly. A pass from Braud reached  Poulain on the left side of the offensive point of view as the product from Paris, France made her chance count, equalizing the game at 1-1.
 
After two CIU fouls, the reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Week Isabelle Allen tried for a shot on goal, but Resetar was in the vicinity of the shot, making a save look easy to keep the game deadlocked. Reagan Worsley of the Rams tried to enter halftime with her team in front, but the Truett defense stood strong and blocked the shot before the ball reached the net, keeping the teams at 1-1 going into the break.
 
TMU started the second half with the intention of taking the lead with three shots from 50:00 through 53:00. The first header was saved and the next two sailed off target. The Lady Bears again put pressure on with two shots in the 58^th and 59^th minute but both attempts missed the net.
 
CIU forced two shots in which one was blocked and the other flew left of the post. Anabella Moron forced a shot in the 66^th minute that grazed the left post of the CIU net while Hodson featured the latest Lady Bear denied by Resetar. Less than a minute later, Lauren Jackson assisted in a goal for the second time as Boaventura struck, giving CIU its second lead of the game at 2-1.
 
Ariana Mandelka powered an on target shot that continued the Lady Bear attack immediately following the Ram score. Off a Moron corner kick, Deneubourg, in the middle of a scramble for the ball, found the ball and used her head to knock in her third score of the season, tying the game once more at 2-2.
 
Both teams forced shots in the following ten minutes as both defenses held firm with blocked shots. In the final ten minutes of full time. Mandelka and Meg Labarbera tried to get the go-ahead strike, but the Ram backend once again kept the Lady Bears at bay with two blocks. No shots occurred for the rest of the way as both teams entered their first overtime game of the season.
 
Lily Jackson had a chance to give the Rams a shot less than three minutes into the sudden-death period, but the ball sailed high and gave TMU possession. Now on CIU's side of the field, the captain of Truett McConnell attempted to punch its ticket to the semifinal round. Once again, Resetar made the stop to continue her relentless effort, but she was unable to secure the ball fully, resulting in a rebound that landed at the cleat of Funes. The sophomore from Covington cleaned it up, dealing the final blow to Columbia International as the Lady Bears won in overtime 3-2.
 
Funes and the Lady Bears will face Pikeville in the AAC Tournament semifinal round on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the TMU Soccer Complex. The kickoff time will be announced at a later date