COMMERCE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi soccer team walked away with a point in a big conference match against East Texas A&M on Thursday evening, playing a frenetic second half that eventually led to a draw by a final score of 1-1.
Before the fireworks of the latter stages of the night, the Islanders (4-7-4, 1-4-2 SLC) had to work to find a spark, taking just one shot over the first 43 minutes of the game. They were kept in it by an excellent showing from keeper
Addie Brown, however, with the freshman tallying a trio of saves to keep a zero on the board for the Lions (3-7-4, 2-3-1 SLC). The last of these ended up being the most consequential, as on a try from outside the box by Allyson Reed, Brown leapt into the air to narrowly punch the shot over the bar and keep what was surely the opening score out of the net.
A&M-Corpus Christi's first real chances came at the end of the first half, starting off with a corner kick right under the two-minute mark leading to a shot on goal from
Mackenzie Mackreth that was saved by East Texas A&M keeper Emmy Finlinson. The team then threatened again in the waning seconds when
MyJoi Anderson fired a shot off in the box that was blocked, and after tracking the ball down, the forward sent a cross back in that deflected off the upper body of a Lions defender. This would go to video review for a potential handball, but the call on the field stood, bringing things into the break with no score.
Once the second half got underway, the Islanders would quickly reverse their fortunes and end up getting on the right side of a review, which led to the first goal of the night for either team. Just two minutes out of the locker room, they worked themselves into a mad scramble at the edge of the box, which eventually resulted in
Isabella Castellanos Lopes feeding
Ashley Wilson with a pass that she fired home into the back of the net. The score was initially waved off due to an offsides call by the linesman, but after taking a closer look, the officials reversed the call on the field, putting the visitors in a one-goal advantage.
After getting on the board, A&M-Corpus Christi came close to doing so again later in the half, getting a prime opportunity in the 61
st minute but getting turned away on a breakaway from
Grace Clay and on the rebound shot from
Natalie Taylor. Right after this, Wilson found the ball at her feet in the box on a long throw in and nearly added her second goal of the night, sending a shot off that was saved on a diving attempt by Finlinson. Right after this, East Texas A&M ended up flipping the script, finding the back of the net themselves on a goal from Kristen Sueltz that equalized the score at one apiece.
Now with 25 minutes left to get their lead back, the Islanders came very close yet again, this time on a shot from
Natalie Nyberg from the far side of the field in the 77
th minute that rolled right across the goal mouth but failed to go across the line. One more save by Brown on the other side soon after represented the last threat for either side, bringing the match home at a draw.
A&M-Corpus Christi ended up finding its groove as the game went on, taking eight total shots in the second half after attempting just three in the opening stanza. Wilson ended up being the catalyst, taking three tries and putting two on goal while logging her first goal of the year and fourth of her collegiate career. Castellanos Lopes picked up the assist on this score while also getting a shot off herself, and on the other side, Brown tallied six saves to make it three matches in a row at that mark or higher.
The Islanders will get back into action a week from today, remaining on the road for a match in Beaumont against Lamar next Thursday at 7 p.m.
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