HAMILTON – 110 minutes could not decide a winner as Colgate and Lehigh battled to a scoreless draw on Wednesday night at Beyer-Small '76 Field.
Photo Gallery
Both teams were deployed in a defensive battle from start to finish.
Kelly Chiavaro recorded five saves for her second clean sheet and Colgate's third consecutive shutout.
The first dangerous shot of the game came in the 18th minute when Chiavaro made a diving save at the left post on a hard shot from Kayla Arestivo. The Mountain Hawks earned an ensuing corner kick but the Raiders defended it nicely and quickly shot back the other way.
Leah Lewis dribbled coast to coast down the left side and blasted a left-footed shot on target on a breakaway in the 19th minute. Lehigh keeper Miranda Royds eliminated the angle and corralled her first save to keep the match scoreless.
Chiavaro faced another shot in the 32nd minute and picked up an easy save on a slow roller from beyond the 18-yard box. Colgate's best chance in the latter stages of the half came off a
Julia Lindsey corner kick, but her cross was defended and defense ruled the rest of the way.
Colgate (3-8-4, 1-3-3 Patriot) nearly had the go-ahead marker early in the second half. A pass was chipped forward to
Emily Amano, who was all alone inside the six-yard box, but she was flagged for offsides on what would have been a breakaway opportunity in the 50th minute.
Lehigh (5-6-5, 3-3-1 Patriot) earned its first scoring opportunity in the 55th minute after another corner kick entered the box. A loose ball bounced around in front but the Raiders were able to clear.
The Mountain Hawks controlled more possession in the second half, but Chiavaro was up to the task. She made one key save in the second half before
Hannah Pinkus came away with a golden opportunity in the 84th minute. The sophomore approached the right post in space but her shot was lifted just over the crossbar and the two teams were destined for overtime.
After neither team generated a shot in the first overtime, Chiavaro stood tall in the second extra session. She recorded two saves, including a sprawled out diving deflection on a hard shot in the 108th minute to preserve the scoreless draw.
BOTTOM LINE
Colgate 0, Lehigh 0 (2OT)
QUOTES
Head Coach Kathy Brawn
On the result:
"We picked some things up in the second half and were able to control the ball a little better. It was just tough to get things connected tonight the way we wanted them to. Credit to Lehigh, but we just needed to be more crisp and sharper with the ball. It was not for lack of effort, but it just did not work today.
"That said, there were some terrific plays out there. We grabbed a shutout and got the tie, but at the end of the day, we needed more than one point. So we will look to build on what we are doing soccer wise and look to play our best soccer in the games ahead.
On the solid defensive play:
"We have three fantastic keepers in Grace, Kelly, and Sophia. They battle and it was great for Kelly to step back in and take charge of the game. She made great decisions out there behind our stellar back line. We have so much confidence in our defensive unit altogether, which is a nice position to be in.
On finishing the regular season strong:
"We just have to control what we can control. That has to do with being a team and playing unified. That never changes no matter what your circumstances are. It is important that we keep forging ahead and put ourselves in the best position to reach the postseason.
NOTABLES
· Chiavaro's five saves led to her second shutout of the season.
· The Raiders earned their third straight clean sheet.
· Colgate finished with 11 shots, led by
Adrienne Vaughn with three.
· Pinkus and
Dom DeMarco tallied two shots.
· Corner kicks were 5-2 in favor of Lehigh.
UP NEXT
Colgate is back on the road Saturday to take on Loyola. Kickoff from Baltimore is slated for noon, with the Patriot League Network carrying the free livestream.
