HARRISONBURG, Va. - The James Madison women's soccer team and Hofstra played to a 1-1 draw in Colonial Athletic Association action at University Park on Sunday afternoon.
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Ellen Forrest and the Dukes' defense weathered a 110-minute storm from Hofstra (10-4-1, 4-1-1 CAA) that included 19 shots and seven shots on goal compared to JMU's eight shots and three shots on goal.
On offense, James Madison (9-5-1, 3-1-1 CAA) broke through in the 82nd minute. Following a hard foul by a Hofstra defender, junior forward Ashley Herndon stepped up to take a free kick just outside the top of the 18-yard box. Herndon took a running start and struck the ball with her right foot, placing the ball just inside the left goalpost past the diving keeper.
Defending CAA Player of the Year Leah Galton and the Pride wasted no time returning the favor. In the 84th minute, freshman forward Jenn Buoncore dribbled forward and played Galton into the box for the equalizer, her conference-leading 11th goal of the season.
The Dukes return to the field on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. when they make the trek to Wilimington, N.C. for a CAA tilt with UNCW.
PIVOTAL MOMENT Hofstra believed they had found the game-winner in the 96th minute when a Pride forward fired the ball into the back of the net, but the would-be scorer was called offside. Both 10-minute overtime periods then came and went without a deciding goal for either side.
NOTEWORTHY Today's tie marks the first time the Dukes have drawn since October 27, 2013 when a game between JMU and Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y. ended, 2-2.
COACH'S QUOTE "We wanted to get a result," head coach David Lombardo said. "At this point in the season, you grab what you can get. I thought this was going to be a real slugfest and it was, so getting that point was good."
PLAY OF THE GAME
LOOKING AHEAD The Dukes continue their 2015 campaign next weekend when they hit the road to face UNCW on Friday night and College of Charleston on Sunday. The Seahawks currently rank fourth in the CAA, just behind the Dukes who sit in third, with a record of 10-5-1 (3-2-1) while the Cougars rank sixth at 8-7 (2-4 CAA).