Marquette Women's Soccer Salvages Draw With South Alabama

Marquette women's soccer led for 73 minutes on Thursday night in Mobile, but that wasn't enough to get the job done.  South Alabama equalized in the 79th minute and the match would ultimately end in a 1-1 draw.

After Darian Powell deflected an Erin Holland shot into the net off of a Caroline Fink corner kick, Marquette was holding onto a precious 1-0 lead in the 5th minute.  From there, South Alabama started to take control.  Yes, the two teams tied in shots after 45 minutes, but it wasn't a fair count.  MU's only shot on goal was Powell's goal, while USA peppered Marquette keeper Amanda Engel, forcing her to make four first half saves to keep her squad in front.

Things just got worse in the second half.  The Jaguars had 12 shots against just seven for Marquette, and Engel made six saves, which wasn't enough.  A defensive collision at the top of the 18 yard box on a USA free kick cleared the space for Steffi Hardy to volley home a shot in the 79th minute to level the match at one apiece.

Things would stay knotted at the end of regulation, and South Alabama had the advantage in the extra sessions, too, outshooting Marquette 5-2, including a 3-0 edge in the second 10 minute overtime period.  Ultimately, no one else would manage to shake the twine on this particular night, and Marquette would have to settle for their second straight draw.

Amanda Engel finished with a career high 11 saves on the night, and has to be an early favorite for Big East Goalkeeper of the Week after that.  To put it in perspective: Engel came into the match having made just 14 saves in Marquette's previous seven matches.

Up Next: Marquette's going to stay in the south over the weekend, as they'll play LSU on Sunday afternoon.  The Tigers (6-1-2) have won two straight, including a 1-0 win over #21 Duke last Sunday.