The Bob Jones University women's soccer team earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Erskine College on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. 

"I am extremely proud of our team, and I feel their pain for not winning this one, but there were so many positives and areas of our game that we improved upon and so continue to see forward progress," said Head Coach Chris Carmichael. "We are getting there and just need to keep the big picture mind as we strive to compete well at regionals. It's a definite process and extremely of our team for stepping up and controlling the game."

Following only five minutes of action at the start of today's game, play was paused due to lightning in the area. The team made their way back to the field about an hour later ready to resume play. 

After a scoreless first half, the Bruins broke through in the 57th minute when Julia Hartzler converted a penalty kick to put the Bruins on top. The lead held for 20 minutes before Erskine netted the equalizer in the 77th minute.

It continued to be a competitive contest as both teams traded opportunities down the stretch, but neither side could find the game-winner.

The Bruins had a strong second half push, generating nine shots and five corner kicks, but Erskine's defense stood firm to preserve the draw. 

Following the game, Carmichael continued saying, "our possession in the attacking half was so much improved and we were getting more looks on goal because of this. Margaret Cummings made an incredible stop to save the game and our field players were strong in our buildup play and much more patient in the attacking half. We are excited to have an opportunity to play Pfeiffer University this coming week and our full attention turns to them. We praise God for being with us and helping us through our challenging schedule."

Several Bruins athletes also shared their thoughts on the game.

"I'm proud of the team coming out strong from a rain delay," said Reagan Tierney. "We dominated the game, and our possession was a lot better than it's been. Although this isn't the score we wanted, we improved a lot as a team with getting shots on goal."

"The team showed great resilience tonight, coming back from the delay with focus and energy," commented Estrella Cruz. "We connected passes with confidence, pushed the pace of play, and kept pressure on the opponent. Scoring our first goal of the season was a big step forward and a reflection of the hard work everyone put in."

Amelia Peters said, "I thought we possessed really well, and moved the ball so much faster. We are hoping to put some more shots on target. However, I am thankful we got our first goal of the season!"

With the result, the Bruins move to 0-1-5 on the season. Up next, the Bruins travel to North Carolina to take on Pfeiffer University on Tuesday.