Women's Soccer Battles UNCW to 1-1 Tie on Alumni Day

Sunday, October 9

Vidas Field

12:00

Drexel University

8-5-2, 4-1-1CAA

UNCW (Alumni Day)

8-3-3, 2-1-2CAA

OT 3

OT 4

UNCW

Drexel

Women's Soccer Battles UNCW to 1-1 Tie on Alumni Day

10/9/2016 2:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - The Drexel women's soccer team battled UNCW to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon on Alumni Day at Vidas Field. UNCW scored the game-tying goal with just seconds to play in regulation to force overtime. After two extra periods, neither team was able to secure the advantage and the game went on to end in the Dragons' second tie of the year.

The game remained scoreless through the first half. As part of the Alumni Day festivities, Drexel announced the winner of this year's Coaches' Award and Laura Meikle Koch Scholarship Foundation at halftime. Laura Meikle Koch, affectionately known as La, was a four-year letterwinner of the Drexel women's soccer program who passed away in 2008 at the age of 28 after losing her courageous battle with cancer. This year's recipient of the LMK award, Wilhelmina Hauch-Fausbøll, embodies the courage, determination, passion, and selflessness that La showed on and off the field. Multiple members of La's family were in attendance and her father, Cam Meikle, presented Hauch-Fausbøll with the award. He was joined on the field by his wife, Sandy, his daughter, Shauna, and four of La's nephews, Connor, Tim, Chris, and Jack.

Drexel got on the board in the 63rd minute as Vanessa Kara put a solid pass upfield to Shaelyn McCarty, who found it and went on the attack. McCarty came up the left side, beat a Seahawks' defender and pulled UNCW keeper Liisa Rahkola out of the net before she sunk a low shot into the middle of the net. The goal, which marks McCarty's sixth of the season, puts her back at team leader ahead of Kara who totals five on the year.

The Drexel defense continued to hold the Seahawks off for the majority of the second half. In the second half alone UNCW totaled 11 corner kicks, most of which the Dragons were able to defend successfully. However, in the final seconds of regulation UNCW was awarded a final corner kick which they were able to make good on. Savannah Andrews took the kick for the Seahawks and served it into a crowded box where it found the head of Meg Salvadore, who was able to knock it in with two seconds to play and force overtime. The game-tying goal from Salvadore marks the Malvern, Pa. native's second of the season.

The Dragons and Seahawks battled through both overtime periods against heavy winds and in the end neither team was able to score. After 110 minutes of play, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The tie moves the Dragons to 8-5-2 overall and 4-1-1 against conference opponents, while the Seahawks move to 8-3-3, 2-1-2 CAA.

The Seahawks outshot the Dragons on the outing, 14-9, and UNCW totaled 16 corner kicks to Drexel's three. Drexel keeper Christiana Ogunsami recorded six saves on the game, while UNCW's Rahkola tallied three.

The Dragons will return to action next weekend as they hit the road for the final time this regular season. Drexel will visit Elon on Friday, Oct. 14 for a 7 p.m. game before they travel to William & Mary for a 2 p.m. matchup on Sunday, Oct. 16.