WILMINGTON – 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 contest at Townsend Field Sunday.
Both teams took eight shots in the first half, but it was the Purple Raiders who made theirs count for a 3-0 advantage.
Wilmington, very importantly as it turned out, switched the momentum just before halftime as Abby Spirk scored a minute before the break.
The Fightin’ Quakers 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 hit the crossbar with a shot in the 57th minute.
Exactly 30 seconds later, Taylor Huffman, an All-OAC selection in 2019, scored her second of the year to pull the hosts within 3-2.
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.
Two overtime periods yielded three shots for the Quakers and one for the Purple Raiders but no goals.
The Quakers held a 20-12 edge in total shots including a 10-7 margin in shots on goal. Wilmington also earned seven corner kicks to Mount Union’s three.
Individually, Wilson tallied seven saves for Wilmington. A quintet of Quakers – Spirk, Huffman, Carlie Brooks, Menges and Edens – all took multiple shots.
Wilmington (1-0-2) will put its unbeaten record on the line at Ohio Northern University Thursday.
