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For some athletes, discovering their inner clutch gene in a game’s closing moments may not come easy.
Long Beach State’s Lena Silano is not one of those people.
The senior forward delivered a highlight worthy of a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Sunday night, courtesy of some late-game heroics against San Diego.
With her team trailing 2–1 approaching the 88th minute, Silano found herself in the penalty area as teammate Elysia Laramie attempted to evade a defender. After Laramie made her way into the sliver of open space at her disposal, the junior booted a cross toward Silano, who elevated for an incredibly clean bicycle kick to tie the contest.
Judging by her reaction, Silano may have been more in shock than anyone that she pulled off the move. Nevertheless, the goal couldn’t have been a more textbook example of what it means to be poetry in motion.
While Silano’s goal did plenty to send the crowd into a frenzy, it did not result in a victory as the game eventually ended in a 2–2 draw to give the Dirtbags a 1–2–3 record on the year. Still, her unreal goal is likely one that will replay in the minds of LBSU fans for the remainder of the 2022 season. And rightfully so.
