NORTH YORK, Ont. – Golden Hawks captain
Ashley Greco scored from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute to help Laurier earn a well-fought 1-1 draw against the York Lions on Friday's brisk night under the lights.
The draw moved Laurier's record to 3-2-2 and ended York's (6-1-1) four-game winning streak.
Greco's equalizer was her seventh goal of the season, keeping her in a three-way tie for the lead among OUA goalscorers.
Laurier goalkeeper
Mya Brodrecht also played a key role in securing the point, making several saves to keep the Golden Hawks within reach.
Laurier created pressure early, earning a corner kick in the fifth minute.
Brodrecht was called into action two minutes later, diving to her left to deny a York opportunity before Laurier's defence cleared the following corner.
The Golden Hawks nearly opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Greco sent a free kick into the penalty area, but the resulting header went just off target.
Taya Johnson's long throw-ins kept creating chances for Laurier. One of her deliveries found a teammate inside the box in the 30th minute, but the header sailed just over the net.
York broke the scoreless tie in the 40th minute. Nia Fleming-Thompson received a pass from Joanna Abdelmalak and chipped the ball with great loft over Laurier's Brodrecht into the net to give the Lions a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
York held a 6-2 advantage in shots and a 3-0 edge in shots on goal during the opening half, while Laurier led 3-1 in corner kicks.
The Golden Hawks came out aggressively after the break, just like they have all season long. Greco found Breda with a cross in the 51st minute, but York goalkeeper Phillips stopped the shot.
Breda continued to generate opportunities for Laurier, testing Phillips again with a long-distance strike in the 59th minute. The Lions' defence held firm as the Golden Hawks searched for an equalizer.
The turning point came in the 71st minute when York's Sofia Locker received her second yellow card and was sent off with a red, forcing the Lions to finish the match with 10 players.
One minute later, Fleming-Thompson was called for a foul on Lariviere inside the penalty area. Greco stepped up and perfectly placed the penalty kick just under Charlotte Phillips sliding right foot and into the bottom-right corner of the net to tie the match at 1-1.
Laurier continued to press for the winning goal, but Phillips controlled a dangerous opportunity following a corner kick in the 78th minute.
Brodrecht preserved the tie in the 90th minute by stopping a York free kick from near the corner. During stoppage time,
Grace Larsen delivered a free kick into the penalty area, but Phillips made the save through contact.
Breda created one final opportunity by working past multiple York defenders, but she was unable to beat Phillips as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Laurier continues their theme of starting slow but then pulling up their socks for a second-half surge, as they've now scored 13 second-half goals in seven games of play this season.
With five matches left in the regular season, this latest draw has the squad tied for fourth in the OUA West with the McMaster Marauders on 11 points. The top six teams in each division qualify for postseason play.
Up Next:
The Golden Hawks return home to face the aforementioned Marauders (3-2-2) on Friday, October 2.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Ansley Alumni Field.
