SAN MARCOS, Texas – A hot start offensively by Texas State on Senior Night was muted by a resilient Southern Miss squad. But sophomore
Chloe Jones found the perfect time to score her first career goal, with one second left on the clock, as the team's played to a 3-3 draw Thursday night at the Bobcat Soccer Complex.
The result clinched the eighth seed for the Bobcats in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament while the Golden Eagles will be the 10th seed. TXST concluded the regular season 8-6-4 overall and 3-3-4 in the conference while USM is now 6-8-3 on the year and 3-4-3 in league action.
Overall, the Bobcats held a 17-13 advantage in shots and 9-6 in shots on goal. Jones had a team-high three shots with two on frame while the trio of
Kennley Bradley,
Mya Ulloa and
Olivia Wright took two shots apiece.
Caitlyn Draper finished the night with three saves on the evening to raise her season total to 54.
USM took the first four shots of the night until one was attempted by TXST. That one came early in the 11th minute as Wright was there to pounce on a free kick off the foot of Bradley that was misplayed by the Golden Eagles' Alex Helbling. The goal was Wright's team leading sixth of the season.
Early in the 27 minute,
Addison Peters sent in a long ball over the backline that hit Wright in the back. Ulloa just beat a defender to the ball and was able to flick it over the goalkeeper and just under the crossbar for her second goal of the season that doubled Texas State's advantage.
The Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard just before five minutes were left on the clock off a shot from just outside the 18-yard box from Abby Badurak that clanked off the left post and in. They would tie the contest with nine seconds left in the half as Victoria Clark put a shot into the upper right corner from nearly 35 yards out.
Badurak would send a ball into the box in the 53rd minute that Alice Williamson was able to run onto and head into the goal to put the visitors up 3-2.
The Bobcats nearly tied the match with just under 20 minutes to play. A free kick from TXST wasn't completely cleared and Jones put the ball back into the box. The ball was misplayed by Helbling and
Mady Soumare placed a shot towards the goal that was cleared off the line by a defender.
Halle Garcia was there for a follow-up but sent it wide of the left post.
A Texas State corner kick with less than two minutes left saw the ball hit off a USM defender's arm for a penalty kick. Peters stepped up to the spot but saw her attempt hit off the left post.
Wimberley Wright got there for a shot off the rebound but it went wide of the same post.
With 20 seconds remaining, the Bobcats threw the ball in in their attacking third. The Golden Eagles were able to clear the ball away but not far enough. Bradley had time to settle the ball and send it into the box. It sailed over the backline to the far post and skipped past the reach of
Lucy Hart to Jones, who hit it first time with her right foot over the keeper. The ball dipped under the bar and crossed the goal line with one second left on the clock to knot the score at 3-3.
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