The Brown women's soccer team kept its undefeated start to the 2011 season alive with a double-overtime 1-1 draw against the University of Vermont at Stevenson Field Saturday.
The Bears (3-0-1) got off to a slow start, but multiple substitutions helped snatch the momentum from the Catamounts (2-3-2). Kiersten Berg '14 provided a spark off the bench, and responded quickly to a second-half Vermont goal to level the score. Stalwart defensive play from Bruno's back four kept the Catamounts at bay through extra time, helping the team come away with the tie.
"I thought it was an ugly first half for both teams," said Head Coach Phil Pincince. "But we made some adjustments that allowed us to carry a lot of the play where we wanted to. … I thought we had a lot of opportunities."
The Bears opened lethargically, as Vermont controlled possession by winning the majority of loose balls. The first 20 minutes of the match were busy for the back line, as seeking long-balls from the Catamounts' midfield had to be repeatedly cleared.
But the momentum began to shift midway through the half, as the Bears set a higher defensive line to pressure Vermont upfield. "I think we just realized how we had to adapt," said captain Sarah Hebert-Seropian '12. "They were moving much faster than we were, so we just had to step it up and bring more energy, and I think we did that."
The introductions of Berg and Kirsten Belinsky '15 also helped up the team's tempo, and the two nearly combined to put Brown ahead in the 43rd minute. Belinsky slipped a ball behind the defense to Berg, whose low shot was deftly parried by the Vermont keeper. Though Bruno could not draw first blood, the momentum was certainly with the home team as the halftime whistle blew.
The Bears picked up where they left off in the second half, earning multiple corner kicks in the first five minutes. Centerback Diana Ohrt '13 connected on a header off a corner at the 48-minute mark, only to see her effort go wide.
Though Bruno seemed to be in control, Vermont opened the scoring just two minutes later, as a slick through ball from 20 yards out found Alexandra Dezenzo, who slipped the ball under the outstretched hand of Brown goalkeeper MC Barrett '14 for the first tally of the game.
The Bears answered resiliently just 47 seconds later to even the score. Berg ran onto a chipped ball from Hebert-Seropian, and calmly slotted her finish into the bottom left corner for the equalizer to bring the score to 1-1.
"I really liked that after we gave up a goal, we came back in the next couple of minutes and were right back in the game," Pincince said. "I thought the momentum changed, because now we wanted it."
Bruno continued to test the Vermont defense throughout the remainder of regulation, but repeated efforts from Berg and Ali Mullin '14 could not break the deadlock. Twenty minutes of additional time was still not enough for the Bears to find a game-winner, and the match ended in a draw.
The team will face their first road challenge of the year Thursday against the University of New Hampshire (1-5). Though Saturday's tie may not have been the result Bruno was hoping for, they remain positive about the challenges ahead.
"I think it's going to be a great game to grow from," Hebert-Seropian said. "Hopefully … we can get better and better so that when we're in that situation again, we can finish it off."
