With Coast Guard battling it out in the standings for a playoff spot, they could not afford to leave today’s game without gaining any points. They were able to secure a point in the standings with a 2-2 tie with Salve Regina.
The Salve Regina Seahawks will play their final regular season game this Saturday November 2nd at Wellesley College at 12:00 PM.
The Bears got started early. Tealani Wassan(Kahuku, HI) scored a goal just 1:18 into the game to give CGA the 1-0 lead. For Wassan, this was her first goal in over a month after bravely battling back from injury to rejoin her team last week. Midway through the first half, the Seahawks would tie the score at 1-1. After a Coast Guard foul in the box, Salve was awarded a penalty kick which they buried in the back of the net. Both squads would go scoreless to go to the halftime break tied at 1-1.
Late in the first half, Coast Guard forward Lulu Vlases(Bozeman, MT) nearly scored her 2nd goal of the season before the Salve keeper made a great save to send away her opportunity. Early in the 2nd half, Vlases would secure her second goal of the year. The sophomore took a perfect through pass from Jules Romano(Bordentown, NJ) and buried a shot into the back of the net at 49:54 to give Coast Guard the 2nd half lead.
Over the next 35 minutes, each team would have numerous scoring opportunities. For Coast Guard, Mia Forti(Madison, CT) sent two well struck shots on goal to nearly give CGA a 3-1 lead but both times Reagan Moffatt(Denville, NJ) made the save for the Seahawks. For Salve in the 2nd, they sent one shot off the crossbar at 73:39 and another on goal which Bears goalie Emily Scharnitzky(Charleston, SC) batted away for the save.
With fewer than 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Coast Guard appeared on the verge of victory but the Salve Regina offense finally broke through in the 84th minute. On a well placed pass from Taylor Barnaby(Portsmouth, RI), Sara Wiejkus(Marshfield, MA) scored to tie the score at 2-2 with just over five minutes to go.
After the goal, Salve Regina had all the momentum. A win for the Seahawks could move them over Coast Guard in the NEWMAC standings but Emily Scharnitzky, Grace Flynn(Severna Park, MD), and the rest of the CGA defense were able to stunt the Salve attack. Scharnitzky made two clutch saves in the final two minutes. The first, a leaping save in the 88th minute. The second, an outstanding diving save with just 15 seconds left. With under 10 seconds on the clock, the Bears got some help from crossbar when a Salve Regina shot appeared destined for a miracle, buzzer beating, crushing goal but the ball ricocheted off the bar to finish the game at 2-2.
Coast Guard will conclude their regular season on the road vs Wheaton on Saturday November 2nd at 1:00 PM.
