Temple-Penn first Big 5 squads to get a taste of NCAA’s new overtime rule for college soccer

When Penn and Temple women’s soccer squads played to a scoreless draw recently, they became the first Big 5 programs to experience the NCAA’s new overtime rules.

When it comes to an official rule, there isn’t one anymore as overtime periods have been removed across NCAA college soccer. Last spring, the NCAA announced it would be changing the OT rule. Previously, if the teams were tied after the 90-minute regulation halves, 10-minute overtime periods with a sudden-death format would be played. Only if those 20 minutes came up scoreless, would the match be considered a tie.

Last spring, the NCAA announced it would be changing the OT rule. Previously, if the teams were tied after 90 minutes, 10-minute overtime periods with a sudden-death format would be played. Only if those 20 minutes came up scoreless, would the match be considered a tie.

Starting this year, all regular season games will be determined within the two regular 45-minute halves. In the postseason, teams deadlocked at the end of regulation will have their games determined by two 10-minute overtime periods with no sudden death. If 110 minutes is not enough to break the tie, the teams will go to a penalty shootout to declare a winner.

In last week’s game between Penn and Temple, the Quakers brought the heat, outshooting the Owls 9-0 in the first half, but Temple sophomore goalkeeper Kyla Burns had six saves on the day. Sophomore forward Janae Stewart led Penn with four of the team’s 14 total shots in a match that was not only Penn’s home opener but also marked the first varsity game this fall across all Penn athletics.

Two nights later, Penn kept its unbeaten streak going with a 1-1 draw against Maryland.

The shortened format makes the college game more similar to professional leagues, which often end in draws after 90 minutes. However, fewer opportunities to find a winner cuts the excitement both on the field and in the stands.

“I think taking away the additional 20 minutes of playing makes it challenging for the players,” Penn head coach Krissy Turner told The Inquirer. “The fans want a winner and the players want a winner. So now, we’re just ending the game with no winner, which I don’t know if that’s truly what the sport is about.”

While some see a tie game as a disappointment, others can view it as a win. Although Temple was playing from behind for the majority of the game, the deficit was not reflected on the scoreboard.

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“I thought we could have won the game if we did some things a little differently,” said Temple head coach Nick Bochette said. “That being said. If the second half was like the first half … we should have really wanted that tie.”

However, a tie between two Big 5 rivals is to be expected considering both proximity and city bragging rights play a role any time these teams meet.

“As far as the Big Five goes, it’s storied,” Turner said. “I think any time that you can play, whether it’s an in-state rival or an in-city rival, and you can get a result, I think it resonates well with the alumni, with the campus community, and certainly from a recruiting perspective.”

As for how the NCAA’s new overtime decision on overtime plays a part in planning, Turner added:

“I’ve always approached every game trying to give my team the best chance to have success, whether that’s 90 minutes or 110 minutes,” she said. “That part’s never mattered.”