On a day that honored the six seniors playing their final regular season match on Reese Field, it was sophomore
Sinclair Francescon who scored a brace as The Master's women's soccer team had to settle for a 4-4 tie against No. 22 OUAZ Saturday.
The tie gives the Lady Mustangs (8-3-3, 3-1-2 GSAC) 11 points, just two points behind the Spirit in first place.
"Can't ask for a more exciting game full of goals and high positive emotion," said TMU Head Coach Esteban Chavez. "What a way to celebrate our seniors and to honor God on the field."
The Spirit entered the match 11-2 overall on the season, 4-1 in conference play. They averaged 3.15 goals per game and gave up less than one goal per game.
But it was The Master's that proved the aggressor, taking 16 shots (10 on goal) to the Spirit's 11 (six on goal).
OUAZ got the scoring started in the 14th minute, but eight minutes later Francescon picked up her first goal off an assist from
Emma Hopkins. But in the 27th minute, and then again in the 29th, the Spirit added two more goals to go into the locker room at the half ahead 3-1.
OUAZ out-shot TMU 8-5 in that first half.
But the story swung decisively to the Lady Mustangs in the second half as the team controlled the majority of the action. Less than six minutes into the second frame, Kate merical scored off an assist by
Ellie Radmilovich to close the gap to one.
Seventeen seconds later
Hannah Burke weaved her way through defenders and fired a low rocket past the diving Spirit goalkeeper to even the score at 3-3.
Less than four minutes later it was Francescon again, with another assist from Hopkins, getting her second goal of the game to lift The Master's to a 4-3 lead. It was Francescon's team-leading seventh goal of the season, and for Hopkins, her fourth assist.
"To be down like that at the half versus a nationally-ranked team who's currently in first place in the GSAC, and to respond like that, was outstanding," Chavez said. "Three goals unanswered in the first 10 minutes of the second half. This took belief, discipline, sacrifice and unity."
The Master's will travel to Arizona Christian next Saturday for their final game of the regular season. Should the Lady Mustangs win it and claim one of the top two spots in the conference, they will have a bye to the GSC Championship Tournament semifinals, which will be played at ACU. A loss or a tie could drop TMU into the third or fourth seed, which would mean they would host the opening round of the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 4.
