Wheaton, Ill. -- The Wheaton women's soccer team began their 2021 season by hosting Hanover College at Joe Bean Stadium on Saturday. The Thunder fought back from a second-half deficit to claim a draw in an action-packed match that went to two overtime periods before ending with the score still tied at one goal apiece.

The match got off to a sleepy start as both teams spent the opening minutes feeling each other out and avoiding any great risks in their tactics. But the hosts quickly emerged from their compact shell and began to stretch the play, utilizing their outside backs and midfielders to probe in and around Hanover's penalty area. While the Panthers managed a couple of dangerous attacking sequences, the first half saw the Thunder with more of the ball and creating a higher number of chances. Despite both teams' growing interest in the game, no breakthrough was made in the first 45 minutes, and the teams returned to the sidelines with the score remaining at 0-0.

Unlike the start of the match, it didn't take long for the action to pick up in the second half. Both teams came out of the halftime huddle with a point to prove and the game had a more wide-open feel in the opening minutes of the second period. Eighteen minutes after the restart, Hanover snatched the lead off of a beautiful finish from Bri Matis. The Panthers won a corner kick, and while Wheaton repelled the initial cross, the ball fell kindly to Matis at the top of the box, and with her first touch, she rocketed a volley off the left post and past the outstretched arm of Wheaton's goalkeeper, Lauren Ketchum. The goal was a serious boost to Hanover as they threatened to upset the #8 ranked team in Division III in the first match of the season.

But Wheaton responded well to falling behind on home turf. In the minutes following Hanover's opener, the Thunder ramped up the pressure on the Panthers' goal, and it began to feel like a simple matter of time before Wheaton found an equalizer. This soon came to pass when Audrey Sexson slipped an inviting pass through Hanover's back line for the hometown player, Sophie Lindquist, to run onto and slot past the on-rushing goalkeeper. Coming with 15 minutes left to play, Wheaton's match-tying goal felt like the necessary momentum boost for the Thunder to go on and snatch a late victory. Unfortunately for the home fans, the second goal did not materialize, and even after two 10-minute overtime periods the two teams could not be separated.

Wheaton out-shot the Panthers today16-12, including a 4-2 edge in the two overtime periods. Wheaton was awarded eight corner kicks, Hanover attempted one. Wheaton goalkeeper Lauren Ketchum made four saves and allowed the one second-half goal in 110 minutes. Hanover netminder Maggie Hinegardner made four saves with one goal allowed.

Next up for the women's soccer team is a home tilt against UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday, September 7 before the squad heads out west next weekend for a two-game series in Tacoma, Washington.