(COTTLEVILLE, MO) If there ever was a more adapt word to describe the St. Louis Lions WPSL franchise this season, it would be “resilient.”
Photo Credit: Mick Lite Photography
This was certainly true in their 2-2 draw with Elite Girls Academy Saturday afternoon at the Tony Glavin Sports Complex.
Just one week prior, the Lions fell to the Nebraskans 2-0 in Omaha and in yesterday’s battle they trailed by that same score at the 73-minute mark.
Then the resiliency, and the goals, kicked in. A pair collected in a six-minute span helped equal the Elite, who currently sit atop the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Heartland Conference.
Photo Credit: Mick Lite Photography
St. Louis’ stalemate pushed their record to 3-1-1 and maintained sole possession of second place in the Heartland sextet’s standings (10 points).
Saturday’s match at the Cottleville pitch saw numerous attempts by both squads get thwarted by stellar defensive and keeper play. As a result, a scoreless tie was displayed at intermission.
The visitors broke the deadlock at the 65-minute mark for a 1-0 edge and then pushed the differential to a pair of goals eight minutes later.
Facing their second straight loss against the Elite, St. Louis reversed the momentum and started putting pressure on the opposition. Just one minute after the Elite scored, the Lions busted their goose egg as midfielder Marjolen Nekesa scored and slashed the deficit in half.
Photo Credit: Mick Lite Photography
Then at the eighty-minute mark, the Lions found the equalizer with Hannah Friedrich’s goal off an assist by Hannah Harlson, her second of the match.
An extra two minutes of play were added at the end but neither squad could post the winner. The 2-2 draw was the first for both squads this season.
With the result, Elite Girls Academy retained first place in the Heartland Conference (6-1-1, 19 points).
The Lions face another big test this Wednesday when they host Fire & Ice WPSL (2-0-0, 6 points) at Tony Glavin in a 6 pm showdown. Both teams drew each other twice last season.
For more information on Lions WPSL, go to their official website.
(Story constructed via on-site reporting by Lions WPSL Twitter account. Thank you for your cooperation!)
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Arch City Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews.
