FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Rylee McGee's first half tally was enough to snap a three-game slide for the Sacred Heart University women's soccer team as the Pioneers grabbed a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Bryant University Bulldogs on Tuesday afternoon.
On what was a not-so-friendly early-September afternoon, the Pioneers saw themselves down within the games first 10 minutes, thanks to a scramble inside the SHU penalty area that was put home by the visitors. With both teams having an even share of the possession in the early going, a failed clearance from the hosts led to the ball finding the foot of Jordyn Collins, whose ensuing pass went under a SHU defender and found the foot of Ava Feeley who promptly ushered the ball past starting goalkeeper
Casey Mulligan to give Bryant a 1-0 lead.
Following the goal, both squads continued to find chances in the final third, courtesy of some shiftiness and speed along the flanks. However, neither side could find the remaining quality needed in the final third to usher the ball into the netting. That was, until SHU's
Rylee McGee leveled things up just before halftime.
With the malleable Pio defense and a determined goalkeeper between the sticks, the Pios fought off the remaining pressure from the visitors through the remainder of the half, finding the equalizing goal on a slow-developing counterattack in the 42
st minute. Along the right flank in the Bryant final third, a give-and-go between
Grace O'Hara and
Lyndsey Laperle made its way through the back line of Bryant, ushering O'Hara into space down the right side. O'Hara promptly sent a scintillating cross into the box that found Laperle whose cut-back pass found McGee's left foot, which the first year forward sent past an unmoved Selena Negron to bring the Pios level just before the halftime whistle approached.
Following the quarter-hour break, both teams sought to turn on the pressure in the second half. Though being outshot by the visitors in the second half, the Pios fought for every loose ball and long cross, finding a few chances that ultimately went begging. On the defensive side, Mulligan and co. clamped down defensively, with the first year goalkeeper making four clutch saves in the second 45, including stopping a point-blank chance in the final 15 minutes that kept the scoreline knotted, 1-1.
As the clock approached zero, both teams continued to pressure one another, hoping to find an edge that would lead to the game's final chance. However, a
Jaci Budaj shot from outside the box was parried by Negron, and Mulligan's stonewalling of Bryant's Catherine Bean led to both teams exiting Park Ave Field with their first draw of the season, courtesy of a 1-1 scoreline.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- With an assist in Tuesday's game Lyndsey Laperle currently sits atop the team lead in points (4) and has earned points in two of the last three matches for SHU.
- McGee's first half tally is her second goal of the season as she joins Laperle atop the SHU leaderboard in points.
- Grace O'Hara's assist on McGee's goal is her second assist of the year. The graduate forward now sits one point shy of tying the program record in career points (62) and two assists shy of tying the career assists mark (15).
- First year goalkeeper Casey Mulligan made her second-consecutive start in net for SHU, playing the full 90 minutes for a consecutive match.
- First year defender Michelle Shoup currently sits second on the team in minutes played having played the full 90 minutes for the third time this season in Tuesday's affair.
Up Next:
The Pioneers embark on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) campaign this weekend, making the short trip up the I-95 Corridor to face MAAC preseason favorites Quinnipiac on Saturday, September 7. Kickoff from the Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium in Hamden, Conn., is scheduled for noon. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
