SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College soccer team scored two goals in the second half, including the game-tying goal by first-year forward Sage Hudson, to tie Western New England University 2-2 in a non-conference battle of undefeated teams Wednesday night at the MHC Soccer Field.
The visiting Golden Bears (2-0-2) held an 18-12 advantage in shots and a 5-0 edge in corner kicks, but the host Lyons (2-0-1) played an equally tough game to earn the draw.
WNEU took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute, as Lindsay Reidy blasted a shot from 15 yards out into the upper right corner of the goal, where first-year Lyons goalkeeper Evie Krieg (Frisco, Texas) had no chance to stop it, Reidy's second goal of the season was set up by Jordan Pare evading a defender on the right side of the penalty area and dishing to Reidy for the open shot.
The Golden Bears held the lead until the 62nd minute, when sophomore midfielder Ada Siepmann (Vlotho, Germany) tied the game at 1-1, with her team-high third goal. Siepmann carried the ball into the penalty area with a Herculean effort against three WNE defenders, before dropping off a pass in the flat to first-year Dena Yousuf (Ottawa, Ontario). Yousuf quickly flipped the ball back to Siepmann, who trapped the ball before taking a left-footed shot between WNE goalie Molly McLaughlin and the far right post.
But the Golden Bears retook the lead five minutes later, as Liza Pinette streaked upfield on a breakaway with a pass from Kyleigh Wheaton. Krieg charged out of the goal to challenge Pinette, but the first-year forward tucked a well-timed shot past Krieg and inside the left post to make it 2-1 in WNEU's favor.
Mount Holyoke scored its second game-tying goal in the 82nd minute, and the score stayed at 2-2 the rest of the way. Sophomore midfielder Anna Kennedy (Glendale, Wis.) gave Hudson (Washington, D.C.) a soft loop of a pass over a WNE defender. Hudson gave a slight hesitation to let the ball catch up to her before one-timing a perfectly placed ground shot inside the left post. The assist was the second of the season for Kennedy.
Krieg made seven saves for Mount Holyoke, while McLaughlin made five stops for WNEU.
Both teams are scheduled to play their conference openers on Saturday: Mount Holyoke is at NEWMAC rival MIT at 1pm, while WNEU hosts Curry in a Commonwealth Coast Conference game Saturday at noon.
