FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles conceded goals early in both halves, but were able to get equalizers behind both, settling for a 2-2 draw with the Florida International Panthers Thursday night at Pickering Field in Fort Myers.
Riding a high after a two straight wins, including a 3-2 victory over LSU on the road in Louisiana Sunday, the Eagles had a chance right off the bat to carry the momentum into Thursday's battle with FIU as
Lexie Bennett played a ball across to a waiting
Taylor Latini in the first minute of the contest, but the Panther keeper made a save to keep FGCU off the board.
Luck was not on the Eagles' side moments later as an FIU corner kick went off an FGCU player and into the Eagles goal for an own goal to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles were able to equalize in the 18
th minute as Bennett made another deep run and drew a foul inside of the 18 leading to a penalty kick that Latini buried to knot the score up at 1.
With momentum on their side, the Eagles continued to press, nearly taking their first lead of the game in the 24
th minute as
Sarah Greiner sent one of her team high five shots to goal, but it clanged off the post, keeping the game tied at 1.
FIU had their chance to go back in front in the 29
th minute, lofting a corner towards the Eagles net, but
Avery White made a goal line clear to keep the score tied and that is the way the game went to the half, tied at 1.
The first half was about as even as it possibly could be with each team getting off five shots and drawing three corners in the period.
The game didn't remain tied long as the second half got under way as FIU put one into the back of the Eagles net just 1:10 into the period to go back in front 2-1.
The ball remained mostly in the middle third of the field for the next 10 minutes until
Kate Friday won a header at midfield for the Eagles and got the ball ahead to
Keira Morgan, who for the third straight game found
Kaitlin Gabelman open in box for a goal to tie the score at 2.
The Eagles next chance came in the 75
th minute when Greiner took a rip on a ball just outside the box and two minutes later FGCU made a long run into the box and got a shot on goal from Latini that the Panthers stopped to keep it a 2-2 game.
FGCU had two more chances in the final 10 minutes of the game with shots on from Greiner and Morgan, but couldn't beat the Panther keeper for the go-ahead goal.
FIU's last chance came in the 85
th minute as they sent a chance at goal trying to take the lead, but
Madara Bome made her fifth save of the night to end the threat and keep the game tied.
FGCU had the ball in the attacking third in the final two minutes, but couldn't turn it into a goal as the final horn sounded with the in-state rivals settling for a draw for the second straight season.
FGCU outshot FIU 17-11 in the contest including 10 shots on goal to the Panthers six.
Reigning ASUN Player of the Week
Kaitlin Gabelman scored for the third straight game while
Keira Morgan notched an assist for the third straight game for FGCU.
The Eagles move to 2-1-2 on the year with the draw while FIU ties for the third time, going to 0-2-3.
FGCU will have their longest break of the early season over the next nine days before taking the field again on September 6
th when they host another in-state rival in FAU at Pickering Field in Fort Myers.
 For more information on FGCU women's soccer, follow @FGCU_WSoccer on
 Instagram,
 X (Twitter) and
 Facebook, and visit
 fgcuathletics.com.
Â
