ALPINE, Texas – An early goal forced McMurry University Women's Soccer to play from behind, but the War Hawks battled back with a second half goal to walk away with a 1-1 draw at Sul Ross State Thursday afternoon.
In the 61st minute, junior defender Angelica Navarro scored her first goal of the season, heading in a high arcing corner kick from sophomore midfielder Meriah Sikora. The goal tied the game at 1-1, marking the final tally.
Sul Ross came out and took a very early lead, scoring just over two minutes into play.
Despite the early setback, McMurry kept pushing, shooting 11 times in the second half. The Lobos (2-7-4, 1-4-2 ASC) kept that early advantage, as they outshot the War Hawks (10-1-5, 5-1-1 ASC) 7-3 in the first half.
Both teams had multiple chances in overtime, with each team recording two shots in the first overtime period. Sul Ross had three shots in the final overtime period, to just one for McMurry. The Lobos outshot the War Hawks overall, 19-17. Sul Ross also held a 10-9 advantage in shots on goal.
Freshman forward Alyssa Daily nearly came up with the game-winning goal in the 81st minute. After dribbling through the Lobo defense, Daily fired a shot with her right foot, but it bounced off the crossbar, leaving the game tied.
Goalkeepers Cindy Villasana and Jordan Gregory combined for nine saves on the afternoon. Villasana allowed one goal on four saves in the first half, while Gregory recorded five saves in the second half and overtime periods.
McMurry held a 4-2 advantage in corner kick opportunities over the Lobos. The corner has been an effective weapon for McMurry this season, as it once again aided in the one goal against the Lobos.
The War Hawks will play their final regular season game outside of Abilene Saturday, when they visit Howard Payne University for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
