Despite a tough showing for Quinnipiac women’s soccer through the first 75 minutes of play, the Bobcats were able to battle back in the final fifteen, earning a hard-fought point in MAAC standings with its 2-2 draw to Niagara University on Saturday. 

Despite earning its first win of the season a week prior against conference opponent Rider, growing pains were evident for this Quinnipiac squad. With questions on where the blossoming Bobcat youth would fit onto this ever-evolving rotation, the match against an equally young Niagara team would provide another good conference litmus test. 

The Purple Eagles and Bobcats were vying for control of possession early, with both teams gaining their best chances on quick breakout plays. Ball movement for both sides began shaky, with even long through-passes often failing to connect to the intended targets. Compounded with suffocating defense from both sides, neither offense was able to generate great scoring chances.

However, it would be Niagara that set the tone for the first half, with the home team pressuring with increasingly dangerous shots. Sophomore goaltender Olivia Jarvis, who earned her first career collegiate start after her performance in Quinnipiac’s conference opener, would face the grunt of the mounted Niagara attack. 

A flurry of stops made by the Bobcat backline, including goal-saving blocks made by junior defender Bianca D’Onofrio and first-year defender Märta Ankarcrona, would help to initially keep the contest scoreless.

However, despite the valiant effort by the Quinnipiac defenders to resist the pressure from the Niagara attack, the Purple Eagles monopoly on possession would be the difference maker. After maintaining extended time in the Quinnipiac attacking third, Niagara’s freshman forward Kaia Grande would draw a foul ten yards from the penalty area. The subsequent cross would lead to a scramble within the six-yard box before freshman defender Caitlin Parker punched the ball home for her first goal of the year. 

Before Quinnipiac even had time to respond, Niagara struck again. The second score, coming only 2:45 after the initial tally, came after the Purple Eagles drew a double team along the Quinnipiac end line, opening up sophomore midfielder Sarah Lucas for a shot just outside the eighteen-yard box. Despite making the initial save, the shot would bounce over the head of Jarvis and into the Quinnipiac net. 

Despite not converting on chances to end the half and remaining down two, Quinnipiac did not succumb to the continued pressure of the Niagara offense. A large part of the continued fight for the Bobcat side could be attributed to the stellar play of Jarvis, whose two big-time saves in the opening twenty of the half would preserve the deficit at two. 

Even as the clock ticked down, the competitive fire wouldn’t dissipate for the visiting Bobcats. Continued pressure and a barrage of chances finally led to a breakthrough by junior midfielder Anna Bean. The first of the season for Bean, her left-footed snipe would soar past freshman goaltender Julia Poissant and cut Niagara’s lead in half with fifteen minutes remaining. 

Quinnipiac used the momentum of the goal to sustain even greater pressure than before, leading to a floundering Niagara to award multiple set pieces to the surging squad. This Bobcat group continues to remain lethal in dead ball situations, with senior midfielder Milena Branco’s curving corner serving as the game-tying goal. 

Quinnipiac’s second MAAC contest showed a different, resilient side of this team, demonstrating that even on the precipice of defeat, these players are able to fight their way back into a contest to earn a well-deserved point. Although the execution and the intensity varied throughout the game, the skill and tenacity of this Quinnipiac team is evident. With a grueling gauntlet of ten straight conference matchups to end the year for the Bobcats, winning will come down to consistently being able to capitalize on chances and maintain pressure in the face of adversity for the full ninety minutes. 

Quinnipiac will return home to face Mount St. Mary’s on Sep. 20. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.