(ANTIGONISH, NS) A high-scoring first half was followed by a defensive struggle, as the UNB Varsity Reds earned their first point of the season, in a 2-2 draw, with the X-Women, at St. FX, on Sunday.
The X-Women put early pressure on UNB, leading to a corner kick in the first minute. Off the set piece, freshman midfielder Mercy Myles(Accra, Ghana) took a feed from junior midfielder Chloe Brennan(Brookside, NS), before ripping a strike short side. UNB goalkeeper Rebecca Duda(Halifax, NS) made a great, soaring stop with her right hand.
In the fifth minute, Duda punched away an X cross into the box to keep it scoreless.
Even with X carrying the play in the early going, UNB scored first.
Senior striker
Lauren Cubbon(Saskatoon, SK) sent fifth-year fullback
Laura McNicholas(Doncaster, UK) in behind the X-Women defenders. She made no mistake, putting the Varsity Reds up 1-0.
After Alix Bruch(Calgary, AB) rang a shot off the goal post, the X-Women were awarded a penalty kick off a Varsity Reds hand ball.
Myles scored her first AUS marker, in the 20th minute, beating a stretching Duda.
Just a couple minutes later, MacNicholas almost had her second of the match, but her shot just missed.
In the 27th minute, the Varsity Reds regained the lead. Freshman midfielder
Cierra Thomas(London, ON) scored her first goal in a UNB uniform, a left-footed shot that found the top corner under the cross bar.
Less than a minute later, Bruch knotted the contest, with a low shot along the turf that beat Duda.
In the 38th minute, Bruch found Brennan, who ripped a strike just over the crossbar from 25 yards out.
A few minutes later, off a corner kick by Elise Brennan(Brookside, NS), Bruch's header from inside the box sailed high and wide.
In the closing seconds of the first half, Bruch picked up a bouncing ball off a lead pass from Olivia Wilkie(Rosemere, QC), but she couldn't find the target with her header.
In a scoreless second half, the X-Women came up empty on a couple deep free-kick chances, with rookie fullback
Clarisse Ramirez(Ottawa, ON) getting the first UNB opportunity, in the 75 minute, but her left-footed shot trickled wide.
In the 88th minute, Kelsey Ellis(Ottawa, ON) got behind the UNB defenders, but Duda slid out to corral the rolling ball.
The players of the game were Myles, for St. FX, and Duda, for UNB.
The X-Women will return to the pitch Saturday, Sept. 17, when they travel to Moncton to face Les Aigles Bleues, while the Varsity Reds host the Memorial Sea Hawks in their home opener.
Kick-off for both matches is 1 p.m.
BY: St. FX Sports Information
PHOTO CREDIT: Gordon La
