Cougars draw with Gaels 1-1 despite 31 shots

MORAGA, Calif. -- No. 15 BYU women's soccer couldn't convert 31 shots into more than one goal in a 1-1 tie with Saint Mary's on Thursday afternoon.

The draw converted BYU's 11-game win streak into a 12-game unbeaten streak as the Cougars (12-3-3, 6-0-1) failed to clinch a share of the West Coast Conference championship in their first opportunity to do so.

"Obviously, it's not the result we wanted," BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. "We played really well, when you get 31 shots you think more than one is going in."

Junior forward Marissa Nimmer scored BYU's first goal in the 12th minute. Ashley Hatch stole a ball in the Gaels' defensive third and found Elena Medeiros on the left side of the box. Medeiros pushed the ball to Nimmer on the corner of the box. Her shot sailed to the far netting of the goal taking the keeper with it into the net for a 1-0 lead.

Saint Mary's equalized in the 30th minute as Vicki Shimkus beat the BYU defense to through ball in the box and poked it past the keeper. It was the Gaels' only shot on goal in 110 minutes.

BYU's best chances at a game-winning goal came in the second half. Elisabeth Phillips was left unmarked on a corner kick but her header sailed just wide of the post in the 65th minute.

In the 75th minute, Hatch found a shot in the box but hit the far post, a Gael defender tried clearing the ball but it hit the crossbar before falling to Michele Murphy. Murphy found Medeiros at the top of the six, but her shot went high.

Saint Mary's keeper Stephanie Busch wasn't able to hold Medeiros' shot in the 89th minute, but she was able to beat Hatch to the rebound to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Hatch had a shot pushed wide in the 93rd minute by Busch and Fernandes tried to beat the keeper with a quick shot in the 102nd, but it sailed over the crossbar.

The Cougars outshot the Gaels 31-4 and earned 12 corner kicks to Saint Mary's one. Busch finished with 10 saves to keep the game tied.

"We've been scoring so well that I though we'd get (a goal)," Rockwood said. "We just have to regroup and stay positive. We can still accomplish all the goals we have.

We've just got to keep pushing forward and we still have a chance to win the conference outright on Saturday."

The Cougars can clinch the outright championship and the automatic NCAA bid on Saturday with a win against Pacific.The game kicks at 7 p.m. PDT and can be seen on TheW.tv.