Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's soccer team (3-3-3, 0-0-1 OVC) rallied to come from behind and force a double overtime draw on Friday night at Rose Park. The Bruins battled Morehead State (5-2-4, 0-0-1 OVC) to a 2-2 tie to open OVC play. It marked the fourth time this season BU had to go into extra minutes to get a decision.
Belmont wasted little time attacking the Eagle goal with a header by freshman Tara Austin (Beaumont, Texas) that bounced off the crossbar and nearly crossed the goal line just 55 seconds into the contest. BU kept up the pressure until senior Meredith Martin (Franklin, Tenn.) used a ball from classmate Kim Elmore (Salem, Va.) to find the back of the net with a long strike from the left side. A strong defensive effort helped Belmont carry the 1-0 advantage into the locker room.
After the break, Morehead State ramped up its intensity and found the equalizer around the 65th minute with an awkwardly bouncing ball that slipped by the Bruin keeper. The Eagles pulled ahead by one at the 80:06 mark with a second goal by Angela Black, another dribbler that squeaked by. Despite being down with time dwindling, the Bruins fought on. Eight minutes later, Belmont knotted the score with rookie Belicia Mendiola's (McKinney, Texas) fifth goal of the season off a free kick that was awarded after an Eagle was given a red card after a hard foul.
MSU played tough despite being one player down for the remainder of the contest but Belmont was determined to come away with points to open league play. The teams battled through a pair of overtime periods with close calls but were forced to settle for a 2-2 stalemate.
Morehead State held the slim advantage in shots, 14-12, but Bruins led in corner kicks, 4-3.
Mendiola finished with a team-high three shots, followed by junior Sydney Omweg (Yorktown, Va.) and sophomore Meg Howard (Brentwood, Tenn.), who recorded two apiece.
Between the posts, junior Lindsey Espe (LaCañada, Calif.) went the distance, grabbing four saves.
Belmont women's soccer returns to action on Sunday at Rose Park, wrapping its three-game homestand. The Bruins host Eastern Kentucky beginning at 2 p.m. The match can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network. Live stats and a live, in-game Twitter feed (@BelmontWSoccer) will also be available.
