Box Score Glendale, Ariz. - The Firestorm held a 2-0 lead at the half, before all the momentum swung toward the Park Gilbert Buccaneers who ultimately claimed a 2-2 tie. Forward Justyne Underwood scored two goals within a three-minute span, and now pulls even with teammate Cami Mercado's three goals on the season.

Score:  Arizona Christian 2, Park Gilbert 2
Records:  Arizona Christian 1-1-1 (0-0-0) | Park Gilbert 1-2-1 (0-0-0)
Location: ACU Football Field - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Justyne Underwood - 2 goals, 4 shots on goal
Cadence Peroff - 4 shots, 2 shots on goal
Cami Mercado - 2 shots, 1 assist
Brenna Sonsini - 5 saves

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

The visiting Buccaneers controlled the ball early in the first half, amassing three corner kick opportunities and a shot on goal by the 14th minute. Yet, it was the Firestorm who struck gold first, as Cami Mercado delivered a beautiful cross from the left to Justyne Underwood who popped a right-footed shot in the goal. Less than three minutes had passed when Underwood dribbled another ball in from her left and sent in a shot to the right half of the netting, for ACU's second goal. 

As the 27th minute approached, the Firestorm was once again on the offensive attack, with closely tied shots from Underwood and midfielder Felicia Apodaca. The first sign of tension between the teams appeared in the form of simultaneous yellow cards, one being called on Cami Mercado and the other on Park Gilbert's Alli Meisel. The dispute would not be the last, as the game saw six yellow cards and one red be thrown up. Both the Firestorm and Buccaneers threatened each other's goals two more times before ACU carried a 2-0 advantage in the locker room.

While neither side adjusted their on-field lineups much, Park Gilbert turned the tides of the match in a hurry. The Buccaneers seemed refreshed after the half, and again had three corner kicks in the first few minutes of the period. Forward Emma Alvarez finally broke the Firestorm's last line of defense and scored an unassisted goal for her Buccaneers. Like Underwood, Alvarez quickly scored a second goal to tie the game at 2-2, receiving a right cross from teammate Alicia Ypina. ACU tallied eight more shots in the game, but ultimately settled for a tie.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH GINA CORMIER

"Tonight's game resulted in a good learning opportunity for our Lady Firestorm," Coach Cormier said. "Overall the team competed, showed heart, and continued to attack offensively through the last whistle of the game. Looking forward to watching our ladies compete on the road this weekend."

NEXT MATCH

ACU Women's Soccer will head to California for their next two contests over Labor Day weekend, their first against University of Antelope Valley on Saturday, September 2nd. The non-conference action begins at 1:00 PM. Follow along with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary or watch the live stream at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/.     

Roll Storm!