STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern women's soccer team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Jacksonville University Friday evening at Eagle Field to kick off the 2015 campaign.
The Eagles got off to a fast start, scoring in the second minute when sophomore Paige Hoover worked the ball down the right flank, whipping a cross across the goal to find a streaking Melinda Lukas on the opposite post. The junior one timed it past the JU keeper, who got a hand on it, but couldn't keep the Eagles off the board.
In the 22nd minute, senior Katey Lippitt hammered home a goal off a deflection from Paige Hoover in front of the net. The deflection came off a corner from Nora El-Shami, who was also credited with an assist.
The Dolphins got on the board in the 36th minute when Marie Weckhurst's shot was deflected and the spin on the ball caused a bad hop off the wet turf. The ball squirted past GS keeper Emily Egan to bring JU within one.
Jacksonville scored an equalizer in the 58th minute when Lindsay Forrest went upper 90 off an assist from Weckhurst. That would the final goal scored by either team as both teams went the final 62 minutes in the heat and humidity without being able to put the game winner away.
Egan played the first half in goal for the Eagles while Emily Flinn played the second half and both overtime sessions.
"I think Jacksonville did a good job of coming out and pressing and being a little bit more up-tempo [in the second half]," said GS head coach Brian Dunleavy. "That's a good team we just tied. I think the performance that we put in for the 90 minutes and overtime, I thought we created really good chances, perhaps a few more than they did ... The things I'm happy with were the intensity with which we played and the overall way we possessed the ball."
The Eagles (0-0-1) will return to the pitch on Sunday, taking on the University of Tennessee (0-0-1) in Knoxville at 1 p.m., at Regal Soccer Stadium. The match will be broadcast live online through SEC Network Plus.
