Women's Soccer: Strong Second Half Sees Mac Recover to Draw Windsor 1-1

Steph Roberts' goal helped McMaster salvage a point at Ron Joyce Stadium Sunday.

Box Score Patient in the wake of a frustrating first half, the Marauders found their form, and the means to peg their visitors back, in Sunday's second half.

McMaster levelled in the 73rd minute through Steph Roberts, to grab their third draw in three home matches to open the OUA season, fighting the Windsor Lancers to a 1-1 stalemate at Ron Joyce Stadium.

Both goalkeepers were busy on the afternoon, with McMaster's Deanna Persico making seven saves, and Windsor's Krissy Brooks countering with nine.

The visitors' lone goal came in the first half through midfielder Jade Samping.

It didn't take the visitors long to make a mark on the match, as a loose moment from the Mac defence saw Windsor's Samping come free in the box, and, gathering the ball, turn and fire home in just the ninth minute to open the scoring.

Six minutes later, the Lancers nearly doubled their lead, as a move down the left wing yielded a shot that flashed just wide of the Marauders far post.

Both teams struggled to create throughout the rest of the opening half, and Windsor's 1-0 lead carried into the break.

Hungry for an equalizer, the Marauders opened the second half the brighter of the two teams, creating several tight chances inside the visitors' box in the first five minutes of the half, but were unable to find the final touch.

After a near miss in the 68th saw Becca Fuerth blaze just over the McMaster bar, the Lancers found the Marauders crossbar in the 73rd, and their wastefulness in front of goal was punished just seconds later.

A McMaster long ball bounced through the Windsor box, unattended by the Lancers defenders, and Marauders forward Roberts latched onto it, tapping the ball into the open net to level the match.

The hosts continued to press as the time wore down late in the half, and enjoyed a flurry of chances to score the go-ahead goal, none closer than Jade Smith's curled shot in injury time, which narrowly buzzed over the crossbar.

Fuerth very nearly snatched the full three points for the Lancers moments later, running onto a laid off pass just outside the McMaster box and driving a hard shot just wide of the far post.

NEXT UP: The Marauders travel to North York to take on the York Lions on Thursday, with kickoff slated for 6:00 p.m.

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