Another Late Rally Leads to Double OT Draw
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Chicago, Ill. – Stop if you’ve heard this before, but the women’s soccer team added a late goal in the final ten minutes of regulation to force extra time and earned a draw. The Pilots and St. Xavier played to a 2-2 deadlock after two overtime sessions on Wednesday evening, moving the Pilots to 0-1-2 on the season.
Ana Molina (FR/South Bend, Ind.) netted the equalizer in the 82nd minute on a header from Kama Hardy (SO/Toledo, Ohio) to help send the game into extra time. The Cougars struck first in the match in the 15th minute on a free kick from 25 yards out by Andreina Hernandez to take a 1-0 lead. The teams would play even for the rest of the half and head to intermission with the hosts leading 1-0 after the first 45.
The Pilots were quick to answer in the second period, with Bri Jackson (FR/West Bloomfield, Mich.) finding the back of the net in the 48th minute to draw even at 1-1. However, the Cougars would answer the goal back. In the 60th minute, a loose ball scramble found the foot of St. Xavier’s Hannah Bressner who launched it to the back of the net for a 2-1 lead. Molina and the Pilots would not be denied though. As in their draw in the season opener against Calumet St. Joseph, the Pilots struck in the final 10 minutes to take the game to extra time.
Jackson notched the only shot by either side in the first overtime session as the Pilot defense locked down the Cougars. The Pilots barraged the Cougars with four shots in the second overtime period, but none got thru. Tessa Zimmerly (SO/Shipshewana, Ind.) made one of her three saves in the 107th minute to preserve the 2-2 draw.
The Pilots return home to Morey Field on Saturday to host Holy Cross (Ind.) in the first meeting in program history, slated for a 7pm kick-off.