EMU's soccer women primed themselves for a late-season run after picking up their first ODAC point Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg.  The Royals scored early and settled for a 1-1 draw with Emory & Henry.

While the win would have been ideal, the women were happy to get the ball moving with the point after working through the tough portion of their ODAC schedule.  Eastern Mennonite went without a win while playing through the top teams in the league before this final stretch.  Starting with the EHC game, the Royals now play the bottom four teams in the conference to end the season.

EMU struck on their first shot attempt against the Wasps, scoring just 10:02 into play.  Sierra Martin (Glenwood Springs, Colo./Glenwood Springs) pushed the ball up the right side before sending a cross in front of the goal.  An EHC defender tried to clear it, but the ball came right to Rachel Breidigan (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone), who quickly settled and hit the net for her first goal of the season.

The Royals controlled momentum for a few more minutes, but couldn't build on the 1-0 lead.

With less than two minutes left in the half, Emory & Henry got the equalizer, getting a tap in from Gillian Hogg on a quick breakaway.

Both teams had their chances in the second half.  Defender Nicole Litwiller (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Christian) blocked a sure goal attempt on an EHC breakaway which got past keeper Becca Borg (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) in the 51st minute.  Borg also made five saves in the half, and intercepted a number of dangerous crosses.  The offense fired seven shots of their own before the game slipped into overtime.

The Wasps had the edge in the first OT, but Borg stopped the only shot on goal out of the team's five attempts in the frame.  Eastern Mennonite had the momentum in the final OT, including a couple of shots on goal in the final minute, but the game ended in a draw.

EHC held a 25-14 advantage in shots.  Martin and Hannah Walker (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) each had three attempts for the Royals, while Breidigan put two on goal, including her score.

Borg picked up another 10 saves for her ninth straight double digit effort.

The Royals are now 1-13-1 overall and 0-7-1 in the conference.  The women play at Guilford (3-6 ODAC) Tuesday at 7:00pm in a rescheduled game.  After the Quakers' surprising upset of Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, EMU needs to win their final three games to get into the eight-team ODAC Tournament.

The women play at Hollins on Wednesday followed by Randolph College next Saturday.

Senior Recognition
The Royals also honored their seniors before the match.  Becca Borg, Morgan Hill, Paola Diaz (McGaheysville, Va./Spotswood), Elisa Ott (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor), and Kristyn Garlow (Bristow, Va./Patriot) were all playing their final contest at EMU.  Borg now has 424 career saves and is No. 2 on EMU's Career Saves list.  Abby Diffenbach holds the record at 457.  Hill, a midfielder, is No. 3 in Career Assists with 24 and sixth with 42 career points.  Ott has played more defensive positions the past two years, but is still tied for No. 20 with 24 career points.

Coach Ted Erickson talks about the tie and the game's ramifications on the ODAC race: