Sparkill, N.Y. -  A Sarai Rodriguez tally in midway through the first half was matched by a late second half Queens College goal, as the St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field. 

STAC moves to 3-10-3 overall and 2-4-1 in the ECC, while Queens goes to 2-9-2 and 2-4-1. While neither team is mathematically eliminated, both would need to win out in their remaining ECC matches and receive help from Daemen University, who currently holds the fourth and final playoff spot. The Wildcats have two conference contests remaining with Staten Island (Oct. 26) and Lincoln (Oct. 29) and would need to lose both.

How it Happened

• Another hotly contested match between the Spartans and Knights resulted in Queens hold an 8-1 first half shots advantage. 
• However, the only goal of the stanza would come in the 16th minute via St. Thomas Aquinas, as a Chloe Fletcher free kick would find the head of teammate Sarai Rodriguez at the front of the net. Rodriguez would direct the ball past Knights keeper Katelyn Villacres for the 1-0 lead.
• No further scoring would take place in the first half, so the hosts would hold the slim one-goal advantage at the break.
• Once the teams returned to the pitch, both sides were looking to get the next goal, with Queens wanting to tie the match and STAC trying to put the game out of reach with a two-goal advantage.
• A fierce battle would ensue between the squads, but it would be the visiting Knights that would get that all important game-tying goal in the 83rd minute, when Gabrielle Christian would send a pass to a wide open Jacklyn Diel, who would put it past Spartans keeper Colleen Stevens and to the back of the net to make it 1-1.
• Neither team could break the stalemate in the final seven minutes of action and time would run out on the match, forcing a draw. 

Inside the Box Score

• Queens outshot STAC 17-7.
• Sarai Rodriguez picked up the lone Spartans tally, her team-leading 5th on the season.
• Colette Martucci recorded a team-high three shots in the match.
• The Knights earned a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks over the Spartans.
• Goalkeeper Colleen Stevens (T, 2-5-3) made eight saves on nine shots faced.

Up Next

St. Thomas Aquinas College closes out its road schedule, visiting Salem University (WVa.) on Wednesday, October 26, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m.