CARY, N.C. – Averett University men's soccer moved its opening unbeaten streak to two, but ended up drawing at William Peace University, 1-1, on Sunday afternoon.
William Peace's (1-0-1) best chance in the second half paid off, with Ausar Omwenga providing jubilation for the Pacers in the 56th minute. His low left equalizer knotted the contest at a goal apiece, with much more soccer left to play.
Averett (1-0-1) held strong in the backfield, highlighted by a clutch save from senior goalkeeper
Anibal Lopez in the 89th to deny the Pacers a win, and confirmed a draw at full-time.
The game's first change in score came from an unfamiliar situation for the Cougars. Following a cross from an Averett corner, William Peace looked to have cleared the ball from harm's way, until referees determined that a Pacer had been called for a handball. A penalty was then issued to the visitors, and
Daniel Sierra calmly slotted the spot kick into the low left corner to give the away side a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute.
The Cougars were then challenged repeatedly as the clock moved throughout the opening 45 minutes, with William Peace tallying 10 shots towards the area of netminder Lopez. Having only made a single save in the previous contest, Lopez kept the home team from making any offensive progress, with three saves alone in the first half.
William Peace controlled the total offensive chances among the teams, leading in shots 20-6. Lopez set a career-high in stops, making six saves on the afternoon.
Pfeiffer University heads up to Danville, Virginia for the Cougars' next bout on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Kickoff from Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
