ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's soccer team continued its run of unbeaten play as the Mids came away from their home Wednesday night matchup versus Lafayette with a 1-1 draw. Scoreless through 78 minutes, the last 12 minutes of regulation was action-packed with both teams netting goals, Lafayette in the 79th and Navy in the 87th. Sydney Fortson (Sr., Claremont, Calif.) played a leading role in the holding the 1-1 decision for the Mids (10-1-1, 2-0-1 PL) as she made two saves in the second overtime period off of dangerous Leopard (5-4-2, 1-1-1 PL) shots on goal.
 
"That's a very good Lafayette team, that forced us to be uncomfortable," remarked head coach Carin Gabarra. "They had a very good counter-attack and we prepared for that. We seemed unorganized at times and didn't do a good job of keeping possession and making good decisions in our final third. We created chances offensively, but didn't put them away."
 
"We weren't sharp and didn't play our best game tonight. I can't say many players had great games and I can't say that as a team we performed to the best of our abilities and expectations. It's really going to be about how we rebound from this performance and get prepared for Lehigh on Saturday night."
 
Navy came out of the gates at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility looking to jump out to an early lead and Jeana Freeman (Fr., Raleigh, N.C.) was first up as she picked up a loose ball on the edge of 18-yard box and immediately ripped a shot towards the near post. Maggie Pohl, Lafayette's starting goalkeeper, was up to the task and dove on top of the low line drive shot.
 
The Mids continued finding itself in quality scoring opportunities in the early portion of the game as Alex Jackson (Sr., Centennial, Colo.) flicked a header shot towards the upper-90 off of a Baseley McClaskey (Sr., Grand Junction, Colo.) free kick in the eighth minute. Jackson's attempt flew wide of the goal and the game continued at a 0-0 margin.
 
Navy kept the pressure on Lafayette throughout the majority of the first half as the hosts outshot the Leopards, 8-2 over the opening 45 minutes.
 
Coming out of the locker room deadlocked at 0-0, the action was scattered throughout the field as both teams found space in their respective attacking thirds. Within the first five minutes of the second half, Lafayette had recorded two shots and taken one corner kick. As soon as this run of play in the Leopards' favor was over, the Mids took over possession and put their second shot on goal in quick order as McClaskey served a high arching shot into the six-yard box to a waiting Jackson, who powered a header towards the far post in the 52nd minute.
 
Navy controlled much of the scoring chances for the next 25 minutes as the Mids tallied four of the next five shots. The dynamic of the game changed in the 79th minute when the Leopards' Riley Dowd received a throw-in, dribbled around and bodied her defender off the ball before taking a low shot to the far corner of the goal to go up 1-0.
 
With less than 12 minutes left in regulation to find their game-tying goal, the Mids focused solely on their attack. Lafayette stood strong for first eight minutes of this span and allowed just one shot. Navy found its first and only score of the game in one of the rarely seen own-goal fashions as Emily Keast (Jr., Springfield, Va.) sent a long cross towards goal that was likely running wide and long before a Lafayette defender stepped in front, whiffed on the clearance and saw the ball ricochet off her leg past her goalie at 86:57.
 
Knotted at 1-1 after 90 minutes of play, neither team was able to muster much offensively in the opening overtime period. The action kicked up a gear in the second overtime session as Lafayette put a pair of well-placed shots on goal that forced Fortson into action. The Mids' senior goalkeeper was especially tested by Krista Kissell in the 103rd minute when she met Kissell at the top of the 18-yard box and deflected the shot away with a wide open net behind her.
 
Bolstered by those clutch saves, Wednesday night's contest went into the record books with a 1-1 decision through 110 minutes of double overtime action.
 
Fortson finished with three saves, while Natalie Neumann, the Leopards' second goalkeeper played the final 65 minutes and made three saves in her relief effort.
 
For the game, Navy outshot Lafayette, 18-9 with a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Leopards had six corner kicks versus five for the Mids.
 
Navy will continue Patriot League action with a Saturday night tilt at home versus Lehigh. Kickoff between the Mids and Mountain Hawks is set for 8 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.