BRYN MAWR, Pa. – The Haverford College women's soccer team (5-3-3, 0-2-2 CC) found a late equalizer from Sophia Mitchell in the 86th minute to earn a 1-1 draw with Bryn Mawr (1-7-2, 0-3-1 CC) in Centennial Conference action Wednesday afternoon at Applebee Field.
The Fords controlled the attacking numbers for much of the afternoon, finishing with a 15-7 advantage in shots and putting eight attempts on target. Haverford also earned seven corner kicks, while Allie Billups made three saves in goal.
The Scarlet and Black immediately put Bryn Mawr goalkeeper Lily Blackman to work, with Cate Dugan and Alejandra Diaz each forcing saves inside the opening seven minutes. Diaz followed with a header that went wide, while Emma Kirk sent an attempt high in the 10th minute.
The Owls answered with their first dangerous opportunity in the 11th minute, but Billups denied Lourdes Sankar to keep the contest scoreless. Clare Hawley sent a header wide in the 22nd minute before Dugan narrowly missed with a header of her own in the 32nd.
Bryn Mawr generated its best stretch of the opening half late in the period. Billups stopped Beatriz da Silva in the 33rd minute before turning away Lillie Schmelz in the 42nd. Haverford nearly grabbed the lead just before halftime, but Blackman denied Mitchell's attempt in the 45th minute as the sides went to the break scoreless.
The Fords again came out on the front foot in the second half. Claire Parker tested Blackman shortly after the restart before Emma Murray forced another save in the 48th minute.
Bryn Mawr responded with a stretch of sustained pressure, earning four corner kicks between the 62nd and 66th minutes. The Haverford defense weathered the surge without allowing an attempt on goal, keeping the match deadlocked.
The Scarlet and Black pushed back into the attacking third as the half progressed. Mitchell had an effort blocked in the 67th minute, while Hawley put a header on target in the 73rd. Diaz followed with another shot on goal in the 75th, but Blackman continued to keep Haverford off the scoreboard.
The match changed quickly in the closing eight minutes. Just six seconds after checking back into the contest, da Silva gave the Owls a 1-0 advantage in the 83rd minute. On a free kick from midfield, Meesha Akbar drove a skipping ball into the box that Billups came off her line to collect. The Haverford goalkeeper was unable to secure the bouncing service, allowing da Silva to pounce on the loose ball and tap it into the open net for the game's first goal.
Haverford responded immediately, needing less than four minutes to find the equalizer. The Fords earned a corner kick in the 86th minute, with the ensuing sequence creating a scramble inside the box. As the ball bounced through traffic, Mitchell found herself in the right place at the right time, settling onto the loose ball and firing it into the back of the net to level the contest at 1-1 with 4:10 remaining.
The Scarlet and Black continued to press after the equalizer, earning another corner kick in the 88th minute, but neither side found a decisive goal before the final whistle.
Mitchell and Hawley paced the Fords with three shots apiece, with Mitchell putting two on target and scoring Haverford's lone goal. Diaz also registered three attempts with two on frame, while Dugan contributed two shots. Blackman made seven saves for the Owls, while Billups finished with three stops for the Scarlet and Black.
Haverford returns to action Saturday, Oct. 10, welcoming Dickinson to Walton Field for a noon Centennial Conference matchup.
