BOSTON – In a matchup of teams fighting for the top spot in the Patriot League, the women's soccer squads from Navy and Boston University ended 90 minutes of nip-and-tuck competition with a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon. Close throughout the action at BU's Nickerson Field, the Terriers (2-7-4, 2-0-2 PL) scored in the 33rd minute before the Mids (8-6-1, 2-1-1 PL) immediately fired back with the game-tying goal by Isabella Romano (Jr., Syosset, N.Y.) in the 36th minute.

"This was a tough, hard-fought road game against a very good BU team," remarked head coach Carin Gabarra. "We deserved to be tied at the half, but really hoped for more after our play in the second half. Overall, this wasn't an unfair result. Getting at least one point on the road is important.

"We continue to struggle adjusting to the speed and bounces of playing on turf. As the game moved along we got a little more comfortable, but we never clicked the way we needed to. At halftime, we changed up the way we were playing so we created more high-percentage looks in the second half, but we just couldn't get that second goal. Our effort, physicality and play-making got better."

The Terriers came out of the gates fast as the host squad put the game's first shot on frame just 1:48 into the contest on Saturday afternoon. Freshman goalkeeper Natasha Stramrood (Cypress, Texas) was up to the task as she easily collected the attempt by Giulianna Gianino.

After that initial shot on goal, the action over the next 25 minutes saw Boston control the majority of the action, but fail to make significant in-roads in Navy's final third as the Terriers earned four corner kick opportunities, but were unable to register a single shot. On the opposite side of the ledger, the Mids weren't able to build either long-standing possessions on offense or connect on potent quick-strike through balls and were held without a shot during the opening 30 minutes of play.

The scoreboard saw its first activity in the 33rd minute when Juliana Osterman crossed a ball into the box and hit the on-coming Jaiden Schultz in the knee for a deflected shot on goal that snuck into the upper-90 past Stramrood at 32:20.

Trailing by one goal, Navy immediately took aim at drawing even. In short order, Stramrood made a save and punted the ball up the pitch. After the punt bounced off a BU defender near mid-field, Chiara Cosenza (So., Westfield, N.J.) possessed the ball and quickly lofted a ball over the top, hitting a sprinting Isabella Romano in stride. Going one-on-one with the final Terrier defender, Romano dribbled into the box and curled a shot towards the far corner past the out-stretched arms of Bridget Carr for the tying tally at 35:35.

"That was a really nice goal by Bella," commented Gabarra. "She's always been a talented offensive player for us, but she's really stepped up after Mimi went down."

Two minutes into the second half, Navy nearly took the lead as Alexa Riddle (Sr., Tomball, Texas) raced up the right wing and played a cross into the box where Amanda Graziano (Sr., Middlebury, Conn.) beat her defender, but saw her touch push the shot high of frame.

Less than four minutes later, the action flipped to the opposite end of the pitch as Margy Porta turned past her nearest defender and ripped a shot to the near post, though Stramrood sprung off her line and made the stop.

After that action-packed opening run of play to start the second half, Navy and Boston slowed the action down a bit as their respective midfielders and defenders took over. The Mids were the first to re-engage their offensive attack. In the 74th minute, Hannah Mulholland (So., Chandler, Ariz.) forced a turnover on the Mids' side of midfield and after a clash of bodies, Cosenza came in control of the lose ball, quickly turned and fed Mackenzie Morrow (Fr., Jacksonville, N.C.), who dribbled to the top of the 18 and blasted a shot on goal that Carr grabbed at the last second.

Navy's offensive pressure continued as in the 79th minute when Riddle hit an out-swinging cross from the right that was met by both a Navy and BU player and popped straight up; when the ball finally came down, Cosenza volleyed the ball out of the air, though her shot rang off the far post.

With the score still deadlocked at 1-1 and the clock under four minutes both teams took to their final swings at registering the go-ahead goal though both came up empty. Stramrood denied BU's attempt in the 87th minute when she stopped a Gianino free kick from 25 yards out before a Cosenza one-timer strike skipped wide in the 89th minute.

For the game, BU out-shot Navy, 10-8, including a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. The host Terriers also held an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Stramrood finished her day in goal with four saves.

Navy will turn its attention to its fifth Patriot League game of 2024 when it hosts Bucknell on Friday, October 11. Kickoff between the Mids and Bison is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.