Soccer: Louisiana, Georgia Southern Battle To 1-1 Draw

Louisiana plays three of final four regular-season matches at home beginning against Little Rock

FINAL STATS (PDF)

Next Game:

Little Rock

10/14/2021 | 7 p.m.

ESPN&#434343434343;

Ruthny Mathurin

STATESBORO, Ga. – Ruthny Mathurin returned to the starting line and scored on an equalizer in the 66^th minute and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Soccer team battled Georgia Southern to a 1-1 tie in a Sun Belt Conference match on Sunday at Eagle Field – Erk Park.

Louisiana (5-8-1, 2-3-1 Sun Belt), playing in its first overtime game of the 2021 season, halted a three-match win streak for Georgia Southern (9-4-3, 4-1-2 Sun Belt) as it recorded its first tie since a scoreless draw against Little Rock on Oct. 22, 2020.

After playing to a scoreless draw in the first half, Georgia Southern took a 1-0 lead when Marcela Montoya hooked in a near-side corner kick in the 47^th minute of play.

The lead would remain until Louisiana would get a direct kick from just outside the 18-yard box early in the 66^th minute after a foul by Georgia Southern’s Sade Heinrichs. Mathurin, who missed a pair of matches due to an injury suffered on Sept. 24 at Troy, took the set piece from Anna Grassinger and sent in a left-footed blast past Eagles’ goalkeeper Michaela English for her second goal of the season.

Gracie Vargas, making her Louisiana debut, and Carol Rodriguez each challenged English with shots on-goal for the Ragin’ Cajuns while Libby Harper stopped a shot by Elis Nemstov in the 88^th minute to send the match to overtime.

Grassinger missed on an attempt in the first overtime for Louisiana while Hailly Waterhouse and Karleen Bedre each missed on shots in the final period.

Georgia Southern held an 18-12 advantage in shots in the match with Bedre, Hailey Hoffmann and Lucy Ortiz each attempting a pair of shots to lead Louisiana. Montoya and Nemstov each took five shots for the Eagles while English recorded five saves.

Harper stopped six shots for Louisiana while Grassinger and Izzy Wheeler joined Harper in playing in all 110 minutes.

Louisiana will return to action on Thursday when it hosts Little Rock to begin Friends and Family Weekend. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN&#434343434343;. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who will play three of their final four regular-season matches at home, will wrap the weekend facing Texas State on Sunday (Oct. 17) at 1 p.m.

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