STATESBORO - Georgia Southern women's soccer opened up its 2022 home slate on Sunday, playing UAB to a 1-1 draw at Eagle Field.
The Eagles move to 0-1-1 on the season, while UAB is now 1-0-1. Georgia Southern now embarks on a month-long road swing, playing its next six matches away from Statesboro, beginning with a Thursday night matchup at North Florida at 4:30 p.m. in Jacksonville.
Georgia Southern saw the lion's share of offense in the first half, outshooting the Blazers by a 12-5 margin. A set piece in the 38th minute allowed the Eagles to take the lead as freshman Erin Wilkins' cross found junior Simone Timm on the far post, and Timm headed it past UAB goalkeeper Anika Toth to the right for the 1-0 lead.
The Eagles nearly doubled the lead just 18 seconds into the second half, but Timm's shot was saved by substitute keeper Eve Beyer. After that, the Blazers had the better of the early second-half chances, forcing three early saves by freshman Katie Oakley over the next 19 minutes.
UAB would equalize in the 71st minute, just 50 seconds after the second-half hydration break. Morgan Hallwill drove the ball down the left side and her cross connected with a sliding Stella Lawson, whose touch found the back of the net to make the score 1-1.
The Eagles would finish the match with a 19-13 edge in shots. Oakley made six saves in net for Georgia Southern, while Toth made three first-half saves for UAB and Beyer had four in the second half. Georgia Southern had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks and the Blazers were whistled for seven fouls, while the Eagles were whistled for four fouls and a pair of offsides.
"I thought it was a tale of two halves," Georgia Southern Head Women's Soccer Coach Chris Adams said. "It took us a little while to get going in the first half, but we ended up putting them under a tremendous amount of pressure, and that resulted in a goal. I was pleased with our first half execution. In the second half, they got the better of us. We weathered too much pressure and eventually conceded. I felt like if we had gotten a second goal, we would have likely been able to get a win at home versus the tie. I felt like we should have executed on one of the counter attack opportunities we had with them sending so many forward. We did play a lot better. so I think it's a step in the right direction. All credit to UAB, they are a quality team and should have a good season."
