Women's Soccer Team Continues Undefeated Streak with Two Draws

After 220 minutes of play, the Columbia women’s soccer team’s four-game winning streak was snapped, though the team didn’t actually lose a match this weekend.

The Lions (4-2-2) headed into Friday’s match against Stony Brook in search of their fifth straight win. After losing its first two games of the season, Columbia managed to build some momentum with four wins behind a resurgent offense. The formidable Stony Brook defense presented a major test as the Seawolves had previously allowed just one goal per game this season.

Friday’s match went just as expected. Despite five corner chances in the first half, Columbia was unable to convert, and the teams headed to the locker rooms with the game still scoreless. In the second half, the Seawolves came out firing, but the Lions received some help from the crossbar, and the game went into overtime with the teams still knotted at zero.

The first overtime was relatively uneventful as the Lions managed only three shots in the period, none of which were on goal. The second overtime, however, saw a lot more action, as Lions goalie Allison Vespa was forced to make two of her 11 saves in the final ten minutes of the game. Ultimately, the clock ran out and Columbia settled for a 0-0 draw.

Sunday’s match against St. John’s saw much of the same, as Columbia managed but a single shot on goal in a scoreless first half. In the 57th minute, Red Storm forward Kelly McConnell redirected teammate Courtney Lane’s corner kick to give St. John’s a 1-0 advantage.

Columbia looked poised to suffer its first loss in six matches, but some late-game heroics by forward Allison Leonard helped the Lions stave off defeat. In the 88th minute, the junior scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season, launching a shot from the top of the box.

The Lions headed into overtime for the second match in a row with the score tied at one. The extra minutes were a showcase for both defenses, as neither team managed a shot on goal for the rest of the game. After another 110-minute match, Columbia was still winless.

The Light Blue will have little time to recuperate this week before it opens Ivy League play on Friday against a Brown team that has yet to win a game this season.