ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita Baptist University women's soccer team remains in contention for the Great American Conference regular season championship after erasing a three-goal deficit in what ended up being a 4-4 draw with Harding on Tuesday in the final home game of the regular season.
With the point earned in the tie, the Tigers (8-4-5, 5-1-5 GAC) are now tied with Southwestern Oklahoma State (5-4-7, 5-0-5 GAC) for first place in the league. Ouachita has one game remaining in the regular season, a road trip to face East Central this Thursday. SWOSU has two games remaining. The GAC's regular season champion will host the league's championship tournament November 3-5.
Ouachita found itself down early on Tuesday against the Bisons (2-9-6, 1-5-5 GAC). Harding scored in the fifth minute, the eighth minute, and then again in the 13th minute to hold the early lopsided advantage. The Tigers defense held Harding scoreless in the final 30 minutes of the first half.
Down by three, Ouachita expectedly came out as the aggressor in the second half, and after only taking eight shots in the first half, took 21 in the second, while holding Harding to just one in the final 45 minutes.
The Tigers broke up the shutout with a goal by
Jaymee Dotson from
Paige Owens in the 53rd minute. Harding quickly answered with its only shot of the second half resulting in a goal in the 56th minute to put the Bisons up 4-1.
Dotson again found the net in the 67th minute on a penalty kick goal after a Harding player was called for a handball in the box.
Next, it was
Paige Owens' turn in the 73rd minute, breaking free down the middle of the field past the Harding defense and around the Bison goalkeeper to find the net and cut the deficit down to just one.
The equalizer came from
Jamie Fowler in the 82nd minute, taking advantage of being in the right place at the right time after a pass deflected off of a Harding defender right to Fowler in front of the net.
Fowler and Dotson are now tied for the team-lead in goals this season with seven each. Dotson now has 27 career goals, ranking fourth all-time at Ouachita. Fowler now has 16 career goals.
Ouachita's game at East Central this Thursday is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff in Ada, Oklahoma.
