JOPLIN, Mo. -- Oklahoma Baptist battled Missouri Southern State to a 1-1 draw Wednesday at Fred G. Hughes Stadium with both sides trading goals in an evenly matched contest.
The Bison (0-3-2) grabbed an early lead in the 15th minute when
Lauren Hanley found the back of the net for her first career goal.
Hanley capitalized on a crisp pass from
Sam Sheffield, slotting her shot past the Lions' goalkeeper Bella Smith to put OBU up 1-0.
The goal energized Oklahoma Baptist, who continued to press forward, recording six first-half shots while forcing Smith into four saves.
Missouri Southern (2-2-1) pushed hard after the break. Presley Whitmire was the difference-maker for the Lions, drawing a penalty in the 82nd minute and calmly converting from the spot to level the match at 1-1. The equalizer capped a second half in which Missouri Southern outshot OBU 8-7 and generated several dangerous opportunities.
Goalkeepers on both ends were busy.
Jolee King anchored the Bison defense with eight saves, turning away point-blank attempts from Nathalia Luiz and Ashten Holloway to keep her side in front until the late penalty. Smith matched her with seven saves for the Lions, including two clutch stops in the closing minutes on
Zemyna Lekaviciute and
Hope White to preserve the tie.
Both teams finished with 13 shots apiece, while Missouri Southern edged OBU in corner kicks, 6-5. The physical battle featured 19 combined fouls and two late yellow cards against the Lions.
OBU will close out its non-conference schedule this coming Saturday, Sept. 20 at Rogers State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in Claremore.
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