JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The St. Bonaventure women's soccer team fought to a 1-1 draw on the road against Saint Peter's on Thursday afternoon in the two programs' first meeting since 2004.
 
Despite playing shorthanded following a red card in the 31^st minute, the Bonnies were able to keep the game in hand and under control.

St. Bonaventure (0-2-2) took a first half advantage in the 27^th minute as sophomore forward Ekemini Udofa received a through ball pass and broke away, drawing the opposing goalie out of the net and dribbling past her before eventually scoring on empty posts.
 
Although the Bonnies had the first score and momentum, a red card just minutes later meant they could not relax. The Peacocks made promising plays earlier in the match, like an accurate cross in the 10th minute that was sent away at the last second by sophomore Hannah Smith, but they began to turn up the heat as the Bonnies played down a player. A flurry of shots and corner kicks from the hosts before the halftime break forced the Bonnies to fortify and play patiently.
 
Coming out of halftime, it seemed Saint Peter's (2-1-2) would not be denied.

A curving shot in the 52^nd minute slipped past the outstretched arms of Bonaventure goalkeeper Juliana Castellano, who made six total saves, but struck the goalpost and narrowly missed. Ten minutes later, the hosts again watched one of their shots deflect off the crossbar and out of play.
 
In the 66^th minute, Bona got an opportunity to extend the lead as a corner kick landed in the possession of graduate student Paula Sanabria Diaz, but the open space was quickly closed by Peacock defenders, and her shot was blocked. Seven minutes later, she put a promising free kick on net, but it too was turned away.
 
A third straight positive opportunity for the Bonnies would turn disastrous near the 75^th minute as Saint Peter's stampeded back to tie the game.

A beautifully timed steal by Hannah Smith led to a chip shot off the foot of graduate student Daniela De Souza, but yet another connection with the crossbar denied the visitors a score. The Peacocks collected possession off the rebound and quickly moved up field, scoring the equalizer in transition following a goal by Pinho Magno.
 
The remainder of the match was a physical, back-and-forth battle as both squads dug deep to find a late game-winner, though neither was successful, and the game finished knotted at 1-1.
 
SBU was outpaced in corner kicks, 12-0, and in shots on goal, 7-2. The two teams combined for six yellow cards.
 
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH MELISSA SHERWOOD
"After going ahead with a good goal, unfortunately the dubious red card changed the course of the game. The team showed a lot of heart and fighting spirit today to play with only 10 players for the majority of the game. I'm proud of their effort and we have to take that grit and determination into all future games."

UP NEXT
The Bonnies will be back in action on Sunday as they travel to face Post at 1 p.m.
 
------
For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on X @GoBonnies and get women's soccer updates @BonniesWSoccer. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies. Bonnies women's soccer can be found on Instagram @bonnieswsoccer.