NORFOLK, Va. - When the Tigers and Old Dominion get together in women's soccer, a close game is almost always guaranteed and Friday night's Colonial Athletic Association game at the ODU Soccer Stadium was no exception.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jocelyn Papciak made five saves, including three in the second half, as the Tigers (7-9-2, 3-5-1) extended their unbeaten streak to three straight games by earning a scoreless tie against Old Dominion (7-6-5, 3-2-4).
"It was a really hard fought game and a just result," Towson Coach Greg Paynter said. "Both teams had opportunities. Our defense played its best game of the year and we didn't give up any easy opportunities.
"To get a result on the road in a meaningful game this late in the year is a great testament to our team's character and effort," Paynter added.
In the first half, the Lady Monarchs had the best opportunity to score in the 15th minute when senior midfielder Kirstin Walker stopped by Papciak.
Papciak held off the Lady Monarchs late in the second half by making two saves in the final four minutes of regulation. With 3:45 left, freshman forward Kelly Evans tried a header shot which was stopped by Papciak. Just 42 seconds later, Papciak thwarted another attempt by Walker.
The Tigers also had three opportunities in the second half. In the 47th minute, freshman midfielder Cheyenne Skidmore had her shot attempt stopped by freshman goalkeeper Bri Alvarado. Alvarado also rejected scoring chances by sophomore Courtney McKee in the 57th minute and sophomore Annie Hillin with 10:27 left.
The Lady Monarchs dominated the overtime periods, outshooting the Tigers by a 3-0 margin. In the 105th minute, Evans attempted to give Old Dominion the victory, but her attempt was stopped by Papciak.
While Papciak made five saves en route to her second career shutout, Alvarado recorded three saves to earn the shutout for the Lady Monarchs, who have earned four ties in their last seven matches.
The Tigers will continue their three-game road trip on Sunday afternoon when they face William & Mary at Albert-Daly Field at 2 p.m. Meanwhile, the Lady Monarchs will host George Mason on Sunday afternoon.
College Women's Soccer: Towson University 0, Old Dominion University 0 (2OT)
Towson (7-9-2, 3-5-1) 0-0-0-0 / 0
Old Dominion (7-6-5, 3-2-4) 0-0-0-0 / 0
Saves: TOW - Jocelyn Papciak 5 (110:00, 0 goals allowed); ODU - Bri Alvarado 3 (110:00, 0 goals allowed). Shots: TOW - 10; ODU - 10. Corner Kicks: TOW - 8; ODU - 5. Attendance: 228.
TIGER TIDBITS: The Tigers have now played in six overtime games this year ... The school record for overtime games in a single season is seven, which was set during the 2005 campaign ... It was the first time the Tigers have played in a scoreless tie since a 2006 meeting at the University of Maryland ... Of the nine meetings in the Towson-ODU series, eight of them have now been decided by a goal or less ... The only meeting in the series that was not decided by a goal was in 2005 when the Lady Monarchs defeated the Tigers by a 3-1 margin in Norfolk ... Old Dominion has shut out 13 of its last 15 opponents at home.
Courtesy: PJ Dunn
