Etzel Makes Career-High 14 Saves, Women's Soccer Draws with Harvard, 1-1

Saturday, October 15

3:30 pm

Brown University

7-2-4, 2-1-1Ivy

Harvard

7-3-3, 2-0-2Ivy

OT 3

OT 4

Harvard

Brown

Etzel Makes Career-High 14 Saves, Women's Soccer Draws with Harvard, 1-1

10/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore goalkeeper Christine Etzel made a career-high 14 saves, and junior Mikela Waldman scored in the 27^th minute as Brown University women's soccer earned a point in a 1-1 double overtime draw with Harvard University on Saturday afternoon at Stevenson-Pincince Field.

In a match pitting the number two and three teams in the Ivy League standings, the Bears (7-2-4, 2-1-1 Ivy) kept the visiting Crimson (7-3-3, 2-0-2 Ivy) off the scoreboard for over 88 minutes until Rachel Garcia netted a goal in the 89^th minute. Harvard (eight points) remains one point ahead of Brown (seven points) in the conference standings.

"It was a great game – a hard-fought battle for 110 minutes. That's what to be expected at this point in Ivy League play," head coach Kia McNeill said. "I can't say enough positive things about our defense. The effort from the entire team was incredible. They left everything out there today."

Etzel (Madison, Conn.) – who entered the weekend ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in GAA and save percentage – helped the Bears successfully defend 19 corner kicks and turned aside three shots in the overtime periods as part of her career-best 14 saves.

Waldman (San Francisco, Calif.) scored her first goal of the season and fifth of her career at the 26:12 mark off assists from sophomore Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and senior Carly Gould (Hampton Falls, N.H.). After Gould sent a pass to Story along the left wing, Story drove a cross into the goal area where Waldman finished off the play on her second touch.

Garcia netted the equalizer with 1:33 to play in regulation for her fourth goal of the season. After Leah Mohammadi played a free kick into the penalty area, Margaret Purce flicked a header to Garcia who used her own head to find the back of the net at 88:27.

Gould nearly put the Bears ahead 2-0 in the 68^th minute as her header from 10 yards ricocheted off the corner of the crossbar and left post. Just over two minutes later, a header from Harvard's Carly Rotatori off a corner kick glanced off the top of the crossbar and out of play.

Etzel remained strong in the 76^th minute, diving to her right to stop a shot from inside the 18-yard box from Mohammadi. In the 95^th minute, Etzel parried a shot from Purce from the edge of the penalty area over the crossbar.

Crimson goalie Lizzie Durack (5-2-2) made three saves in the draw.

For the match, Harvard held advantages in shots (28-11), shots on goal (15-4), and corner kicks (19-0).

Next, Brown hosts Cornell on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m.

Match Notes:
Brown moved to 2-1-3 on the year at home … Brown has allowed just two goals at home on the season with both coming in the 89^th minute … The Bears successfully defended six corner kicks between the two overtime sessions … Harvard remained unbeaten in its last eight matches (5-0-3) … Harvard maintains a 28-20-4 lead in the all-time series between the two teams … Brown picked up its first point against Harvard since beating the Crimson on Oct. 16, 2010 … The match featured the No. 6 (Harvard) and No. 7 (Brown) teams in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Rankings.

Video of all Brown women's soccer home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ILDN.TV/BROWN.

Tickets for all Brown women's soccer games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.