RICHMOND, Va. – The St. Bonaventure women's soccer team secured its first point in Atlantic 10 conference action Sunday afternoon. Despite an early deficit, the Bonnies battled to a 1-1 draw with VCU on the road.
 
Freshman Evie Underhill netted the equalizer for the Bonnies in the 29^th minute. The goal is her second of the year as she leads the team in points with five (2G, 1A).
 
VCU took an early lead, netting the first score of the game in the second minute. The hosts took advantage of a defensive miscue from the Bonnies as Y-Van Nguyen netted the game's first goal.
 
An early lead for the Rams kept them in an attacking mindset, keeping the ball in their offensive third for most of the first half. The Bonnies defense, however, stood tall by not allowing another shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes.
 
St. Bonaventure (1-8-2, 0-2-1 A-10) made their first substitution of the game, bringing in freshman Torrie Grant-Clavijo. The Toronto, Ontario native made an immediate impact, collecting the ball off a throw-in before making a cross-field pass to fellow freshman Underhill. Underhill beat out her defender and slotted her shot past the Rams keeper to knot the score at one.
 
VCU (2-6-3, 1-0-3 A-10) came out of the half looking to net the go-ahead goal. The Rams took a couple of shots in the beginning five minutes of the second stanza, but both chances were blocked.
 
The Bonnies countered with a shot of their own, but neither squad was able to break the deadlock.
 
Bona keeper Chiara Gottinger stood tall in the closing minutes of the crucial conference contest, making five saves in the second half.
 
Freshman Mahelie Barbeau looked poised to net the go-ahead goal in the 88^th minute. The VCU backline couldn't control the ball and Barbeau took advantage, stripping the defender of possession and racing toward the net. The Montreal, Quebec native ripped her shot, but the Rams keeper got a hand on it, deflecting the ball over the crossbar.
  
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH DONNY GEORGE
"Today's result was fair, but given our late chance, we're disappointed not to be heading home with all three points. Earning a point against a team like VCU certainly boosts the confidence of this group. All our matches have been closely contested, and today, a positive result felt overdue."

"We made an early mistake, but after that, I thought we controlled the first half well. VCU presented some challenges with direct balls, but overall, we managed them effectively. In the second half, we came out a bit flat and struggled to match VCU's energy. Despite that, I felt we kept them limited to low-probability scoring opportunities. As we found our rhythm midway through the second half, we generated a couple of promising attacking moments. We had a winning opportunity late on, but their goalkeeper made an outstanding save."

"Overall, we're happy with the point and are eager to build on this performance for Thursday's game against Davidson."
 
UP NEXT
St. Bonaventure makes its return to the Enchanted Mountains next week for a pair of contests. The Bonnies first host Davidson Thursday evening for a 5 p.m. kickoff and welcome George Mason Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. start.

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