WILMINGTON, Ohio – Facing a three-goal deficit, the Wilmington College women's soccer team battled back to earn a 3-3 draw with the University of Mount Union in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) contest at Townsend Field on Sunday.
Both teams took eight shots in the first half, but it was the Purple Raiders who made theirs count. Mount Union, which hadn't found the back of the net in its first two games, did so three times in the first half as Gianna Ranallo scored in the 21st minute, Andrea Decker in the 30th minute and Olivia McLean in the 43rd minute. Wilmington very importantly turned the momentum just before halftime, however, as Abby Spirk scored a minute before the break.
The Fightin' Quakers didn't let the deficit deflate them as their play picked up in the second half. The hosts outshot the visitors 9-3 in the period. The Purple Raiders nearly delivered the potential knockout punch early, however, but Miller's shot in the 57th minute hit the crossbar. Exactly 30 seconds later, Taylor Huffman, an All-OAC selection in 2019, scored her second of the year to pull the hosts within a single goal.
Heidi Edens, who scored in both of Wilmington's previous contests, looked to level the game with her third goal, but Claudia Wilson made the save in the 62nd minute. The Quakers kept pressing, however, and were rewarded when Ema Menges buried her second of the season four minutes later.
Wilmington had erased a three-goal deficit in just over 20 minutes, but that Menges goal would prove to be the final of the game for both sides. Two overtime periods would yield three shots for the Quakers and one for the Purple Raiders. The host's last shot, with 38 seconds left off the foot of Maliah Huston, sailed high.
The Quakers held a 20-12 edge in total shots including by a 10-7 margin in shots on goal. Wilmington also earned seven corner kicks to Mount Union's three.
Individually, Galloway made four saves for the hosts while Wilson tallied seven saves for the visitors. A quintet of Quakers – Spirk, Huffman, Carlie Brooks, Menges and Edens – all took multiple shots while Andrea Decker led the way with four for the Purple Raiders.
Wilmington (1-0-2) will up its unbeaten record on the line at Ohio Northern University on Thursday.
