Eagles Battle Braves to Scoreless Draw

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The latest edition of the KCAC women's soccer rivalry match between Avila and Ottawa finished how it started, with zeroes on the scoreboard: after 90 minutes, the Eagles (4-9-1, 4-4-1 KCAC) and Braves (3-5-5, 3-1-4 KCAC) had played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday afternoon at The Z.

The game finished 0-0, but it was still a game filled with drama, action, and scoring chances for both teams, in yet another closely contested game between two schools separated by less than an hour and coached by a pair of head coaches that have known each other for a long time. Standings points will be crucial for both teams as they jockey for position late in the KCAC season, and on this day, both squads had to settle for one important point.

Once it became clear that goals would be at a premium on Wednesday, both teams ratcheted up the intensity in the second half, searching for scoring chances. Avila had the better of the chances in the first 45 minutes, but Ottawa was on the front foot for much of the second half, and the Eagles had to lock down defensively to emerge with their first draw of the season.

The Eagles had their best chances of the game just a few minutes into the contest. Megan Nugent put a shot on target just over two minutes in that Ottawa goalkeeper Olivia Ekwall turned into a corner kick, and both Suzie Lopez and Brooke Clark had chances off that corner that the Braves were able to keep out, turning aside a quality chance for the Eagles just minutes into the game.

Nugent and Maria Perez forced saves out of Ekwall later in the first half, but, despite the efforts of Nugent and others, the Eagles never put a shot on target in the second half. Instead, after managing just one long-range shot on goal in the first half, the Braves really turned up the pressure in the second half as they searched for a potential breakthrough.

But the Eagle defense never permitted that breakthrough. Goalkeeper Olivia Seston, in what was her fourth straight start this season after she exclusively split time earlier this year, was at the center of it all, making seven saves after halftime, none bigger than a point-blank stop of Delanie DeHoyos who was left open in the box in the 72^nd minute: Seston kept her position and got her body behind the bid to make a strong save, and though Ottawa fired four more shots on goal in the final 11 minutes, Seston was there every time to preserve her fourth shutout of the season, and lead the Eagles to their first draw of the campaign. Amaris Sigler played all 90 minutes as an outside back for the Eagles.

Avila now heads into the stretch run with only a few conference games remaining this season. Up first is a critical showdown with a reeling Bethany side this Saturday evening in Lindsborg, Kansas – a prime opportunity for the Eagles to pick up a needed win. The women kick off the doubleheader at 5:30 PM with the men to follow at 8; as always, you can watch all the action on the KCAC Network.