Late Goal Lifts Spartans To 1-1 Draw

Aug. 26, 2005

Lexington, Ky. - - Despite trailing for most of the match and being out-shot by a wide margin, the Michigan State women's soccer team pulled out a 1-1 tie in its season opener against the University of Kentucky. Sophomore midfielder Maureen Pawlak (Novi, Mich.) forced overtime when her shot, from 25 yards out, eluded Wildcat goalkeeper Anne Ogundele in the 87th minute.

Kentucky controlled the first half of play, out-shooting the Spartans 8-1. Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Galas (Sterling Heights, Mich.) made five first-half saves for MSU. The Wildcats carried the momentum into the second half, forcing Galas to make two more stops and hitting two crossbars in the first ten minutes of the period. Kentucky finally got on the board in the 65th minute when freshman forward Kate Hughes scored her first collegiate goal.

The Green and White controlled the pace of play the rest of the second half registering five shots on goal in the final 25 minutes of play, including Pawlak's equalizer.

Galas turned aside two Kentucky shots on goal during overtime play, one in each of the ten-minute periods. She finished the game, her first career start, with nine saves. Ogundele stopped two shots in the Wildcat net.

Senior forward Emma Harris (Portage, Mich.) almost completed the Spartan comeback during the second extra frame, but her shot went just wide of the Wildcat net.

The Spartans (0-0-1) will look to break into the win column Sunday, Aug. 28 at 1:00 p.m. when they travel to the University of Cincinnati.