Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's soccer team (2-1-2) battled to its first scoreless tie of the season on Sunday afternoon at Rose Park. The Bruins dueled with Georgia State (0-4-2) and saw the contest end in a 0-0 stalemate.
BU opened the matchup poised, dominating time of possesion from the start. GSU had a strong scoring opportunity around the 22nd minute with a shot by Whitney Ravan that put Bruin netminder Megan Byrd (Gurnee, Ill.) to work. Freshman Tara Austin (Beaumont, Texas) went on a tear 15 minutes late, tallying three consecutive shots on goal in just over two minutes. Unfortunately, she was unable to find the back of the net and the teams carried their 0-0 stalemate into halftime.
The Bruins opened the second stanza with a great scoring opportunity, after senior Taylor Smith (Atlanta, Ga.) was fouled just outside the box. Senior Alison Alcott (Dallas, Texas) drilled the free kick into the net but it was barely batted away by GSU goalkeeper Brie Haynes. The Panthers morphed into a different squad later in the second half, playing much more aggressively on both sides of the ball and controlling the tempo of the match. However, neither team was able to find an offensive rhythm and the score remained locked at 0-0, forcing overtime for a decision.
Both overtime periods were filled with near misses from both teams that generated a combined four corner kicks. The Bruins had a great scoring chance in the first overtime after a corner kick. Freshman Kalie Carter (Hendersonville, Tenn.) fired a rocket toward the Georgia State goal that needed assistance to be blocked. Thirty seconds later, freshman Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas) launched a header that barely went wide.
Despite a gritty battle that went to the final horn, neither team was able to find the back of the net and was forced to settle with the 0-0 tie.
The Panthers held the narrow advantage in shots, 14-13, and corner kicks, 7-4. The teams were even in saves, with five apiece.
"I thought we played hard and had a lot of effort and energy," said Head Coach Heather Henson. "We were able to create chances but we didn't get to connect in the middle and attacking third.
"I am proud that we fought. Even though we earned a tie, it shows how much we battle and do not give up."
Austin led BU with three shots, followed by Mendiola and Alcott, who each recorded two shots.
Byrd logged her second consecutive start and saw her first extra minutes, collecting five saves on the day.
Belmont returns to action on Friday, September 12. The Bruins hit the road to face off at Appalachian State. Match time is set for 3 p.m. CT.
