Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich women's soccer team had its four-game winning streak snapped after a 1-1 tie with Simmons on Wednesday at Howard Field in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action.
The high-octane Norwich offense that was averaging 4.67 goals per game coming into Wednesday's match had a hard time solving Simmons' goalkeeper Ashley Wheeler and the Sharks' defense.
The Cadets (7-1-2, 5-1-2 GNAC) did get on the board first in the 10th minute when junior midfielder Lisa Esparza played a textbook through ball up to sophomore forward Grace Fitzpatrick on the right wing. Fitzpatrick gathered the pass and then sent a shot towards the goal. Wheeler initially seemed to have a beat on the ball, but after getting a hand on it, the ball skipped over her and into the back of the net to give NU a 1-0 lead.
Simmons (3-7-1, 2-5-1 GNAC) had an opportunity to equalize with 12 minutes to go in the first half when Justine Beauchamp launched a free kick in on net that brushed the inside of the far post and bounced back towards NU goalkeeper Meghan Kennedy who punched the ball away before it could cross the goal line.
However, the Sharks finally did capitalize in the 69th minute when Keri Acheson scored top shelf over Kennedy's head on a free kick from 20 yards out to knot the match up at one.
Norwich had a golden opportunity to win the game in the closing minutes when Fitzpatrick made a bid for her second goal of the match. Fitzpatrick found herself clear on the left side of the penalty area and sent a rocket to the near post. However, the shot bounced off the post and ricocheted back away from the net.
Neither side was able to score in regulation forcing the match to go into two 10-minute overtime sessions to try and decide a winner.
NU had the best chance to win with just over four minutes to play in the second overtime when Brittany Casey hit the cross bar on a free kick from just outside the penalty area. Casey got the free kick opportunity after she was in alone on a breakaway and had contact with Wheeler at the top of the 18-yard box.
Kennedy made a season high 14 saves for the Cadets, while Wheeler turned aside nine shots from Simmons.
Norwich outshot Simmons 28-23 and had nine corner kicks to the Sharks' six.
The Cadets return to action on Saturday when they travel to Providence, R.I. with the men's soccer team for a doubleheader with Johnson & Wales. The women's match starts at 1 p.m. with the men to follow at 3:30 p.m.
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