SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Lock Haven University women's soccer team (2-0-1, 0-0-1 PSAC East) opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action today on the road at Shippensburg University (1-2-1, 1-0-1 PSAC East) and two teams finished their double-overtime clash level in a 1-1 draw.
Today's match marked Lock Haven's 2021 PSAC East opener after the team was picked to finish seven of nine in the Preseason PSAC East Coaches' poll.
Lock Haven's goal came from freshman-standout
Hunter McClellan (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy). It marked her fourth goal of the season as she entered today's match as the reigning PSAC East Player of the Week.
LHU freshman-goalkeeper
Kylie Auman (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley), the reigning PSAC Defensive Player of the Week, also played well and helped keep Lock Haven unbeaten on the season with five saves. One of those stops came with under a minute to play in regulation as Auman's diving stop kept the match tied and sent it to overtime.
Overall, the entire defensive unit continued to play well in front of Auman.
Josie Swartz (Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata) was credited with the assist on the Lock Haven goal. Swartz set up McClellan in the 27
th minute.
Host-Shippensburg tied the match in the 74
th minute.
The LHU women's soccer team received votes in the most recent edition of the Division II national rankings. On Tuesday (Sept. 7), the United Soccer Coaches released the updated poll and Lock Haven was listed among several others teams who received votes and found themselves outside of the weekly top-25. The Bald Eagles were ranked third this week in the United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region rankings, behind only Kutztown and Indiana (Pa.).
After today's tie, Lock Haven is now 2-0-1 overall on the season and the 2-0 start marked LHU's first 2-0 start since 2002.
The Bald Eagles now turn their attention to a Wednesday (September 15) late-afternoon road game at Millersville University. The 4:30 p.m. game on Wednesday will serve as LHU's third straight road contest.