ADA, Okla. – The East Central University soccer team hosted Oklahoma Baptist University on Saturday in a back-and-forth Great American Conference battle that ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
 
Despite being outshot 27-15 overall and 10-9 in shots on goal, the Tigers showed grit on their home turf, scoring first, falling behind, and then rallying to secure a valuable point.
 
ECU opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when Emily Cavazos netted her first goal of the season. She capitalized on a deflected shot from Ximena Resendiz that bounced off the Bison keeper and landed right at her feet, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
 
However, the Bisons quickly leveled the score early in the second half, equalizing just 30 seconds after play resumed. Oklahoma Baptist then built momentum and took the lead in the 74th minute with another goal, leaving the Tigers trailing late in the match.
 
However, ECU fought back with determination, and in the 79th minute, Dylan LaMonica scored off a feed from Madison Martinez to tie the game at 2-2, preserving the draw in front of the home crowd.
 
East Central had a balanced offensive effort in the 2-2 draw, led by Emily Cavazos and Dylan LaMonica, who each scored on their only shots of the match. Ximena Resendiz and Madison Martinez each recorded an assist, with Resendiz adding two shots on goal and Martinez contributing two shots overall. Addisyn Brown led the team with three shots, while Melieah Hinnant added two on target off the bench. Reece Roberson, Lauren Mora, and Giselle Heck also contributed to the attack as the Tigers pressed throughout the match.
 
In goal, Madison Mayhall played all 90 minutes and came up big for the Tigers, recording 8 saves against 10 shots on goal from the Bison to help preserve the 2-2 draw.
 
The ECU soccer team returns to Tiger Soccer Field on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. for another home matchup, this time against Ouachita Baptist University.