CLINTON, S.C. – Exceptional defensive effort both on the back line and in the keeper's box prevented both sides from ever cashing in on what could have been a match-deciding goal throughout the Presbyterian College women's soccer team's Wednesday night battle with ETSU at Martin Stadium.

Due to the NCAA's recent rule change negating any overtime play during a regular season contest, the nonconference matchup was forced to end somewhat unresolved at 0-0.
 
FINAL SCORE: Presbyterian 0 – ETSU 0
RECORDS: Presbyterian (0-2-1), ETSU (0-1-2)
LOCATION: Martin Stadium
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
On an evening where relatively cloudy skies quickly evolved into a pure rainfall over the remaining 25 minutes of the first half and lasting until the closing portion of the match itself, neither squad could break through an unrelenting defensive unit, with particular praise going to the PC goalkeeping tandem of Kelly Hall and Mackenzie Azuero.

The first corner kick opportunity for both units nearly resulted in the game's first score, although coming within drastic time distances of one another. Nearly 20 minutes into proceedings – just before Mother Nature intervened – a Presbyterian corner came inches away from sailing past Buccaneer goalie Ashton Blair but drifted too high in the scramble.

Needing 51 minutes of play to garner themselves a corner kick to counter, albeit receiving five such chances in the second half alone to atone for the quietness, ETSU's first CK was snuffed from its dangerous placement by Hall, a constant theme across the night that persevered when Azuero substituted in to work the final 30 minutes.

Both Blue Hose keepers nabbed a pair of saves in the stat sheet, although the final two from Azuero dramatically kept the tie intact by swatting both boots from Aliya Cooper and Sinoxolo Cesane just 52 seconds apart as the game entered its final moments.

True freshman attacker Sloan Spees engineered Presbyterian's two hottest chances at breaking the scoring drought, although a one-on-one scurry between the collegiate rookie and Blair favored the stopper in both instances, at the 49:38 and 85:20 time stamps.

Next to Spees' three looks at the net, Reyna Coston and Kori Lawrence added four between them to help PC's total tally of 11, where the Buccaneers put up eight of their own. Despite eight corner kick layouts combined over the second stanza, the scoreboard remained silent until the final horn that signified the draw.

COACH PURCELL'S THOUGHTS:
"I'm proud of both our goalkeepers and the defense as a whole for their ability to put together a shutout tonight. We are fortunate to have some depth in those positions and have been able to keep some fresh bodies on the field due to that. I think that a big factor in our players being able to hold them scoreless was our depth and our attentiveness on the defensive side".

UP NEXT:
The only road match over the next 18 days for the Blue Hose sits next on the calendar, as Presbyterian visits SWAC foe Alabama State on Sunday afternoon for their fourth encounter on the semester. Possessing a 4-1 record against the Hornets over the past nine years, including a 4-1 difference in PC's last two victories in the series, head coach Brian Purcell's squad will aim for their first W of the young season at 1:00 on the first day of September.