In a game that looked to be finished, forward Gabrielle Côté’s game-tying goal with five seconds left was the saving grace that the Stony Brook women’s soccer team needed.
The Seawolves (5-7-3, 2-2-2 CAA) played a high-scoring game at the Drexel Dragons on Sunday afternoon. The match ended in a 4-4 draw, rewarding both teams with one point in the conference standings. Stony Brook was the clear underdog coming into the game and a last ditch effort prevented the team from coming away with a loss.
The Dragons were the first to strike with a goal only 29 seconds in from midfielder Gabrielle Perrotto. Less than three minutes later, Côté banged a shot off the goalpost and past the goalkeeper for her first collegiate goal. The rest of the first half was quiet until Drexel forward Delaney Lappin scored a goal with only 42 seconds left.
The Seawolves were quick to respond after the intermission with a goal by forward Luciana Setteducate, but Drexel answered with two more goals in the 58th and 60th minutes. Now trailing 4-2, forward Hannah Maracina chipped away at the lead with a goal of her own following a scramble in front of the net.
With 11 seconds left in the contest and still trailing by one, Stony Brook was awarded a free kick after a yellow card on Lappin. With one shot at the net left, defender Kerry Pearson launched the ball towards the net to set up a header from defender Rachael Peters. The header created the perfect opportunity for Côté to send a header of her own to the back of the net. The freshman’s second goal of the game tied it all up at 4-4, and Drexel was unable to respond in the final six seconds.
Côté was the only freshman remaining on the team who had not yet scored this season, but her two goals removed her from that list. Fellow freshman Setteducate’s goal was her first since Aug. 28 against LIU.
Drexel created more opportunities than Stony Brook, as they outshot them 17-10. The Dragons also tallied 10 shots on goal, but goalkeeper Nicolette Pasquarella’s six saves made up for it. The sophomore’s six-save performance marked her fourth straight game with six saves or more, and she is currently second in the conference with 63 total saves.
Stony Brook’s four goals on Sunday was its third-highest scoring total of the season. It is also the fourth time this season that Stony Brook has produced three or more different scorers.
Now 2-2-2 in conference play, the one point helped the Seawolves leapfrog Charleston for eighth place in the CAA conference standings. The point also aided Drexel in tying Northeastern for first place.
After salvaging a tie, Stony Brook finished its road trip 1-2-1. They will look to earn another three points as they return to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium this Thursday to play the Charleston Cougars.
