CALIFORNIA, Pa. — The Golden Eagle soccer team scored on a penalty kick late in the first half to tie the score, and Clarion played California (PA) to a 1-1 draw on the road after neither side recorded a goal in the second half of action. Sage Sherk made three saves in the second half to preserve the decision.
The Golden Eagles answered a late Vulcans goal in the first half when Kelly O'Donnell converted a penalty kick at 42:23, helping send the match to halftime tied 1-1. After O'Donnell took a corner kick from the righthand side, she rushed into the box to collect the ball when she was tripped by Leila Benedetti, setting up the penalty attempt. O'Donnell opted to aim for the lower lefthand corner of the net, beating keeper Kaleigh Rexroad for the equalizer.
Earlier, Sherk kept the Golden Eagles level through several Cal chances, making saves on shots by Macrina Robb, Emma Ziskowski and Alexis Brown, while Pia Stock also hit the left woodwork in the 17th minute. The Golden Eagles generated their first looks through Carmella Simco, whose 11:55 shot was saved before another attempt went left, and the Golden Eagles later built pressure with corner kicks in the 29th, 31st and 43rd minutes. Cal broke through at 41:33 on Benedetti's goal off Brown's assist, but the Golden Eagles responded less than a minute later and finished the half even.
The Golden Eagles kept the Vulcans off the board throughout the second half, with Sherk making three saves as the match finished in a 1-1 draw. Earlier, Sherk stopped a shot by Ziskowski in the 52nd minute before the Golden Eagles answered with chances from Leah Deal, Nadia Gill and O'Donnell over the next 14 minutes. Cal created a corner and forced another Sherk save in the 63rd minute, but the Golden Eagles continued to generate looks, including Emily Sauvé's shot after a 74th-minute corner. Simco put another attempt high in the 88th minute, and Sherk added a late save on Robb in the 90th as the Golden Eagles closed out the scoreless half.
