A second straight comeback forged an impressive tie for EMU in women’s soccer action Saturday afternoon. Despite being out-shot, the Royals got a goal from Hannah Walker (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) in the 84th minute to lock up Chatham, 1-1, at the Marymount Classic in Arlington, Va.
Eastern Mennonite also had a 3-2 come-from-behind against MU on Friday, joining Chatham with a 1-0-1 record at the classic. The Cougars had beaten Emory & Henry 4-0 in their game on Friday.
Coach Ted Erickson’s squad made a great showing on the weekend, playing many of their newcomers while nearly equaling their point total from 2015. The Royals were finished 2-15-1 last fall.
Hounded by the intense winds of the remnant of Hurricane Hermine, the women struggled to adjust in the first half. Chatham had a 17-2 advantage in shots in the period and scored in the 21st minute.
The Royals settled down in the second, and finally got their equalizer as regulation faded away. Walker picked up an errant clear at midfield and handed the ball off to her teammates. The defender continued her run, receiving the pass back as she moved into the box. Seeing her spot, Walker drove the ball on the ground to the far post, getting it past Chatham’s diving keeper for the score with just 6:36 left.
The defenses dominated the two overtime periods with neither team getting a shot on goal.
EMU attempted six of their eight total shots in the second half. Walker put two on goal and Shaylla Oswald (Broadway, Va./Broadway) sent one on target.
Leah Wenger (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) and Emily Young (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) split time in goal, with Wenger making six saves and Young eight.
The Royals play three of their next four at home, including Tuesday’s home opener against Salem College. Start time is 4:30pm.
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