NEWARK, N.J. - On the final day of the Brick Classic, for the second match in a row, Eastern Women's Soccer sophomore forward
Mia Zucker came through in a big moment. With the Eagles trailing in the 72nd minute, the Jenkintown native stole an errant pass and found twine moments later to salvage a 1-1 draw with the New Jersey City Gothic Knights on Sunday afternoon.
After missing all of her first season due to injury, Zucker shined for the Eagles in their season-opening weekend, providing a spark off the bench in both matches. On Friday, she scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to lift Eastern to a victory over Rutgers-Newark before her game-tying tally on Sunday against New Jersey City.
The Gothic Knights (1-0-1) outshot the Eagles 12-5 in the contest, including six shots on target, but goalkeepers
Brooke Moskey and
Faith Leake combined to make five saves in the draw. Moskey, a junior from Kennett Square, recorded four saves in the opening half.
After a scoreless first 34 minutes, the Gothic Knights broke the scoreless tie in the 35th as Gabrielle Cardona scored her fourth goal of the young season. However, the Eagles continued to battle and showcased the resilience they showed on Friday night against Rutgers.
That resilience paid off in the contest's latter stages. In the 72nd minute, with the Eastern forwards pressuring the Gothic Knights' defense, Zucker pounced on a poor pass and found some open space, ripping a shot from just outside the box. The ball sailed into the top left corner of the net, tying the contest at 1-1 to keep the Eagles undefeated in the early stages of the campaign.
Zucker led the Eagles with two shots off the bench, while defenders
Ella Sedor and
Olivia Nicholson, together with midfielder
Paige Snell, each recorded one.
"I am happy with the way the ladies closed out the opening weekend," Eastern Head Coach
Jess Shanahan said. "A lot of player shined and showed some quality performances. There is a lot to work on as a group, but the chances we can generate on the counter are exciting to watch."
Eastern (1-0-1) returns to Saint Davids for its home opener on Wednesday for a 3:30 pm matchup against the Ursinus College Bears.
