Box Score COLLEGE STATION, Tex. --- Women's soccer completed its Texas-sized weekend with a full, 110-minute double overtime draw against Abilene Christian Sunday morning at College Station.
Despite 19 shots to ACU's nine, UC Irvine (1-2-1) couldn't quite get the goal to separate them from the Wildcats (1-2-1).
"We never looked like conceding," Head Coach Scott Juniper's said of his team's defensive performance, "but lacked a spark in the final third. Maybe the fatigue of Friday night caught up with us."
The combination of a high-intensity Friday match and the sweltering weather conditions of the 10:00 a.m. match seemed to play some sort of factor, however the defense of keeper Corey Tobin and her backline held firm.
Abilene Christian managed four of their nine shots on target, and especially pressured in the first overtime period nabbing two of their six corner kick opportunities, but to no avail.
Ten Anteaters hoisted shots up with eight falling on target from seven different shooters. Kiana Palacios led the charge with five shots and two on target. Five 'Eaters put their lone shot of the match on goal including freshman Brittany Nguyen who, along with defenders Haley O'Brien and Grayson Galbraith and their keeper Tobin, were the only few to play all 110 minutes
"Lots of freshman on the field. Brittany Nguyen had a breakout game playing every minute through overtime."
Juniper had five freshmen on the pitch during the match including Nguyen as the lone starter to pick up the squad's first draw and clean sheet of the season.
The Anteaters will make a pit stop back in Irvine before jogging up to Moraga in Northern California for the Gael Classic on the campus of Saint Mary's. UCI will play 2:00 p.m. matches on Friday, Sept. 4 and Sunday, Sept. 6 matching up with Nevada first before wrapping things up with Colorado State.
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