Women battle to draw with RedHawks

COLUMBIA, Ky. — Three times No. 4 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) took the lead, and three times the No. 14 John Brown University women’s soccer team responded as the Golden Eagles took the match to extra time in a 3-3 draw on Thursday evening at Walter S. Reuling Stadium on the campus of Lindsey Wilson College.

The Golden Eagles moved to 1-1-1 against NAIA top 10 competition since the start of 2018.

Freshman Paige Martin tallied her first collegiate goal that tied the match late in the first half, while junior Vanessa Reynoso’s second tally of the season leveled the score at two early in the second frame. Senior Kathryn Huff poked in a low cross late in the contest to draw the teams even again at three.

Neither team could find the golden goal in extra time, but it wasn’t without a bit of heroics from junior Caitlyn Logan in goal. With 80 seconds remaining in the first extra time, a long bomb from the RedHawk back line sailed over the JBU back line into the waiting feet of Yuki Watari. Watari’s strike pulled Logan to her left, but the keeper made her eighth save of the match, denying MMC the game-winner.

The RedHawks (3-0-1) broke the scoreless draw first exactly 15 minutes into the match with Suzuho Yamasaki’s strike from Adisa Nwawel in the middle of the box.

Despite the lopsided shot count in the first 45, the Golden Eagles responded late in the form of Martin’s first goal.

In the 42nd, JBU (3-1-1) played a free kick into the box that found a chaotic chorus of feet. Martin Methodist failed to clear on the first attempt and Martin’s rampage into the box ended with the ball suddenly at her feet. With momentum, she struck a shot past MMC keeper Gabby Kennedy from 12 yards to tie the score at one apiece.

Just before halftime, the RedHawks pulled the momentum