JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After 90 grueling minutes in the sprinkling Duval County rain, the Dolphins and visiting Lipscomb finished with a 2-2 draw in Jacksonville's opening ASUN match.
Jacksonville moved to a 2-3-3 record following the draw, continuing the team's unbeaten streak at home. Jacksonville is now 2-0-3 in the friendly confines of Southern Oak Stadium, boasting a 10-2 scoring advantage.
Thursday's game started all Lipscomb, with the visiting Bisons taking an early 2-0 lead after seven minutes of play. That lead flipped when the Bisons fumbled a ball by their own net, allowing an own goal and a score on the board for the home side.
It was then none other than
Julia Delprat who evened the game at 2-2 in the 37
th minute.
Lina Ballmann teed up a free kick that bounced up and over the Lipscomb defense and right onto the foot of Delprat, who powered one past the keeper for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
After opening the season with a goal against Miami, Delprat now has three goals in her last two games. Ballmann's assist was her first of the season.
The second half was a defensive one for JU, as the visitors lobbed eight shots. But starting goal keeper
Taylor Gardner stood tall and didn't allow a score over the game's final 45 minutes.
It was the heroics of Gardner, much in the game's final minutes, that saw Jacksonville to a draw. The junior keeper started her first ASUN game, tying her career-high with five saves. Gardner moved to 21 saves on the season which is seventh in the ASUN.
Gardner made back-to-back saves in the final six minutes of play that were up under the chin of the junior, but they were batted away by her gloved hand and safely away from the net.
After a highly offensive first half that saw JU lead the shots category 8-7, Jacksonville finished the game with 12 total shots and four on target.
Delprat led the 'Phins with three shots on net.
Claudia Perez Avila had the team's other shot on target, part of a two-shot night for the sophomore. Delprat's four total shots also led the team.
Jacksonville's tie against the ASUN preseason number one team, and reigning ASUN Tournament champs, leads the 'Phins into Sunday's contest against Bellarmine. JU and the Knights kick at 1 p.m. on Sunday for Camper Appreciation Day.
COACH'S COMMENTS
"It was a really good reaction from us to come back from 2-0 down," head coach
Ryan Moon said. "Bit of a shaky, nervous start while starting conference (play). Took us a little too long to find our feet at the start of the game, but once we did, we built into it. We had our patches where we had a lot of possession, chances. They had a lot of theirs as well. It was good to see that game to end like that."
