SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's soccer built a two-goal halftime advantage and reclaimed the lead late in the second half, but Midway University rallied three times as the teams played to a 3-3 draw Sunday afternoon in River States Conference action at McMahon Field.
Lauren Gill led the Pomeroys with a goal and an assist, while
Mira Atari and
Ella Cox each found the back of the net. Goalkeeper
Priscilla Barajas delivered a strong performance between the posts, recording 10 saves as SMWC moved to 2-12-1 overall and 0-4-1 in conference play.
Midway (3-8-1, 1-3-1 RSC) held a 21-11 advantage in shots, including a 13-6 edge in shots on goal, but the Pomeroys capitalized on their opportunities and held the lead on three separate occasions.
First Half: Pomeroys Build Two-Goal Advantage
Midway applied pressure early, forcing Barajas into action with saves against Lacee Brown in the fourth minute and Addison Hazlett less than a minute later.
SMWC generated its first scoring opportunity in the eighth minute when Atari tested Midway goalkeeper Lilly Riordan, who turned away the attempt.
Barajas continued to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard, stopping another Hazlett attempt in the 17th minute before the Pomeroys broke through midway through the opening half.
Gill put SMWC in front in the 25th minute, scoring an unassisted goal at the 24:48 mark to give the Pomeroys a 1-0 advantage.
Midway responded with sustained offensive pressure, but Barajas turned aside attempts from Cate Burch, Hazlett, Laykin Irvin and Haylie Haupt to preserve the lead.
The Pomeroys doubled their advantage just before halftime.
At the 43:09 mark, Gill turned provider, setting up Atari for SMWC's second goal of the afternoon. The connection gave the Pomeroys a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Despite being outshot 11-6 in the opening 45 minutes, SMWC carried the two-goal advantage into halftime behind seven first-half saves from Barajas.
Second Half: Late Goals Produce Dramatic Finish
Midway wasted little time beginning its comeback after the intermission.
In the 53rd minute, Burch scored off an assist from Annabel Young, cutting the Pomeroys' lead to 2-1 at the 52:59 mark.
The Eagles continued to attack, but Barajas turned away shots from Chloe Kemper and Guadalupe Torres to maintain SMWC's one-goal advantage.
The Pomeroys looked to respond offensively, earning consecutive corner kicks from
Lauren Tilley in the 64th and 65th minutes.
Maliah Goins followed with a shot that went wide as SMWC searched for an insurance goal.
Instead, Midway found the equalizer in the 69th minute when Hazlett scored unassisted at 68:06, leveling the match at 2-2.
SMWC refused to surrender the momentum.
Gill tested Riordan with a shot on goal in the 72nd minute, and after Barajas made another save against Hadley Wilson in the 76th minute, the Pomeroys struck again.
Just 22 seconds after the Midway attempt, Cox converted a scoring opportunity off an assist from
Riley Sabath at 75:32, sending SMWC back in front 3-2 with less than 15 minutes remaining.
The advantage held until the closing stages, when Midway mounted one final response.
Anna Grace Meek scored off an assist from Wilson at the 83:28 mark, tying the contest at 3-3 with fewer than seven minutes remaining.
The Pomeroys pushed for a late winner, with Sabath sending an attempt high in the 87th minute. Midway also threatened in the final two minutes, but attempts from Hazlett and Brown failed to find the back of the net.
Neither side could produce a decisive goal before the final whistle, leaving the conference opponents level after an entertaining 90 minutes.
Pomeroy Standouts
Gill paced the SMWC attack with three points on one goal and one assist, putting both of her shot attempts on target. She also assisted on Atari's first-half goal that gave the Pomeroys their largest lead of the afternoon.
Atari finished with a goal on two shots, both on target, while Cox contributed the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute and led the Pomeroys with three total shots.
Sabath recorded an assist on Cox's second-half goal, while
Veronica Redmond added a shot on goal.
Barajas was instrumental in keeping SMWC in contention throughout the contest, finishing with 10 saves in 90 minutes. Seven of those stops came during the opening half as Midway generated 11 shots before the intermission.
For Midway, Hazlett led all players with six shots, including four on goal, and scored the Eagles' second goal. Burch and Meek accounted for Midway's other two goals, while Riordan finished with three saves.
By the Numbers
- Final score: SMWC 3, Midway 3
- Shots: Midway 21, SMWC 11
- Shots on goal: Midway 13, SMWC 6
- Saves: SMWC 10, Midway 3
- Corner kicks: Midway 5, SMWC 2
- Halftime: SMWC 2, Midway 0
- Attendance: 150
Up Next
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College continues River States Conference play Sunday, Oct. 25, when the Pomeroys welcome Indiana University Columbus to McMahon Field.
Kickoff is scheduled for
1 p.m. ET in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.
