The Lady Bruins battled back late to tie the game, but couldn't put the finishing touch on the win as the team tied Brenau University 2-2 on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. "I was proud of how we never gave up and continued to get stronger as the match moved on," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "We had a slow start but began settling into the game and started creating more consistent opportunities in the attacking half."
After battling through a tough preseason, the Bruins were ready to open the new year in front of the hometown crowd. Over 1,200 fans packed into Alumni Stadium as a new season was set to begin.
From the opening kickoff, the Bruins looked to establish their pace as they moved the ball into the attacking third. The Tigers defense clamped down on Bruins' striker Abby Davis with several double team combinations which limited her in the first half. Defensively, the Bruins stood strong as the Tigers continued to pressure the net with looks. Angelina Martin had seven saves in the first half as she turned aside shots from the Tigers.
As the half neared its end, Coach Carmichael made several subs hoping the fresh legs would give the team a goal. They got their answer on a great combination play as Emma Walker found Kristyn Rygh on a good give and go combination. Rygh then created space and found freshman Ali Sigmon who had a run up the right side of the field. Sigmon beat the keeper and buried her shot in the back of the net to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The Tigers tried to answer back but the Bruins took the one-goal advantage into the half.
In the second half, the Tigers came out strong as they looked to find the equalizer. Just three minutes into the half, Mackenzie Callas rocketed a shot past Bruins' keeper Sarah Lloyd to tie the game 1-1. The Bruins came back on the attack as they again looked to climb on top. Instead, a quick counter gave the Tigers another opportunity but Lloyd made a great save to keep the game 1-1.
In the 69th minute of the game, the Tigers took the lead as Itzel Rivera lofted a long shot over the head of Sarah Lloyd to make it 2-1. Sigmon would again be the difference-maker for the Bruins as she help notch the equalizer. After getting a through pass from Grace Hoffman, Sigmon maneuvered her way through the Tigers' defense and took a hard shot which squeaked through the hands of the goalkeeper. As the ball rolled towards the goal, Kayla Romeiser finished the shot to tie the game up 2-2.
With time running out, both teams knew the next goal would likely be the game-winner. The Bruins had a golden opportunity late in the match, but a free kick by Jessica Baun sailed just over the net. The final buzzer sent the match to extra time tied 2-2.
In the extra time periods, the Bruins outshot the Tigers 5-2 but those opportunities couldn't find the back of the net as the two teams ended the match in a 2-2 draw. "We had a lot of our younger players step up for us tonight," Coach Carmichael said. "We've got to do better. Our possession wasn't where we wanted it to be but for a first game we'll take it."
Ali Sigmon led the Bruins with one goal and one assist while Kayla Romeiser also scored her first goal of the season. The Tigers outshot the Bruins 19-13 in the match. With the draw, the team moves to 0-0-1 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will be back in action on Thursday night as they host Southern Wesleyan University at Alumni Stadium.
