MORAGA, Calif. – After facing off against UC Davis and Stanford on the road over the weekend, Saint Mary's Women's Soccer were back at home on Thursday as they faced off against James Madison.

The first half was relatively slow, as both teams struggled to find an end product. That all changed right before half as the Gaels found themselves in front thanks to a Briana Salvetti header. The Dukes were able to equalize late in the second half as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
 
SLOW GOING
James Madison started the game on the front foot, making a couple long passes into the box to test SMC defenders just 2 minutes in the match.
 
Saint Mary's were able to grow into the match, even though James Madison looked to dominate possession early. 
 
It didn't take long for the Gaels to find a clear chance on goal, with their first sight of goal coming in the form of a counterattack in the 7^th minute. Tessa Salvestrin found herself through on goal, where she unleashed a strong shot, forcing a strong save from the keeper. The ball bounced high in the air, begging for a second chance, but the Dukes keeper was able to snatch the ball before any the Gaels were able to get a second crack at it. 
 
Taylor Poland was tested multiple times throughout the first half, as she was forced off her line to claim long passes from the Dukes midfielders. 
 
Both teams looked to play the ball quickly up the field but were often unable to find the last key pass to unlock the defense.
 
James Madison forward Suwaibatu Mohammed looked to cause the Gaels defenders problems with her strength and aggressive forward runs. After all the defending Saint Mary's had to deal with against Stanford, they were unphased by these attempts. Saint Mary's look very calm and composed in defense, as they rarely rushed a pass or were dispossessed. 
 
LATE HALF OPENER
The Dukes often opted to build their offense from the back, giving SMC the opportunity to dispossess JMU high up the field. Despite this, Saint Mary's weren't able to create any meaningful chances on goal. 
 
Amari Hicks continued her great defending form, as she found herself outnumbered against a JMU counterattack in the 19^th minute. Hicks remained composed, as she forced the Dukes player away from goal to thwart any chance at getting a shot or cross off. 
 
The chances were slim for both sides through the opening 20 minutes, as the Gaels were unable to create any meaningful chances on goal besides Salvestrin's early chance. 
 
Chances were slim for the remainder of the first half, until the Gaels found the break through with time winding down.
Saint Mary's freshman Michaela Romo weaved through numerous JMU defenders before finding open grass in front of her on the left side of the field. She charged down the flank, before chipping a perfect cross to the head of Brian Salvetti who headed home the opener. Salvetti's second goal in consecutive games and third overall on the season had the Gaels leading 1-0 in the 44^th minute, giving them all the momentum heading into halftime.
 
TEMPO SWITCH
The second half of the match started similarly to the first, as JMU looked to establish possession early and quickly find an equalizer. 
 
Amanda Attansi for the Dukes had a decent chance to level the match early in the half, but in the end her shot hit the side netting. 
 
Saint Mary's had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 52^nd minute, when Tessa Salvestrin found herself charging down the right side of the field. She let loose a low, powerful cross towards the back post which found the right foot of Kaylee Covert, but she mistimed her kick and unfortunately scuffed the opportunity. 
 
James Madison kept finding good chances to level the match, another coming in the 57^th minute. The Dukes nearly caught the Gaels off-guard with a lightning quick counterattack as Mohammed found herself through on goal. She was able to chip the ball past Taylor Poland, but the spin of the ball dragged the shot just wide of the right post. 
 
ALL TIED UP
The away team finally got the breakthrough they were desperately searching for in the 66^th minute. The Dukes were able to take advantage of a corner, as two JMU players head the ball towards the net before finally willing the ball past Taylor Poland. 
 
Saint Mary's have struggled to close out some of the matches thus far this season, but despite their fatigue, they pressed on searching for a second goal. 
 
James Madison continued to search for a winner of their own, as they moved high up the field looking to force the Gaels defenders back into their defensive third. 
 
The away team had one final push in the 84^th minute, as they bombarded the Gaels defense with 3 straight corners. Saint Mary's stood tall, forcefully kicking the ball out and away from their net. 
 
In the end, no winner was decided, despite both sides having solid chances down the stretch to come out victorious. Both sides will feel they could've won the match, but a hard fought battled resulted in the spoils being shared Thursday night in Moraga. 
 
NEXT UP
The Gaels are back at home on Sunday, September 3 as they'll host the San Jose State Spartans at 3 PM.