After a tough loss to UCF to start the season, FAU women’s soccer had to find a way to bounce back on Sunday evening against Miami. They did that, earning a 1-1 draw, facing off against a tough opponent in Miami who was also coming off a loss.
The Hurricanes went up late in the 1st half on a goal from Giovana Canali and that lead held into the second half. The Owls needed a response or risked going 0-2 to start their season and they got one from Olivia Bori.
Michelle Horan blazed up the right side and blew by her Hurricane defender and set-up Bori perfectly in the middle where Bori tapped it for the goal to even it up at 1, which was eventually the final. Owls Coach Patrick Baker said he was happy with his team’s resilience after a tough loss to UCF and falling behind 1-0 in this one.
“I thought we started the game well and hit a bit of a lull there in the middle of the 1st half, they got the 1st goal of the game, which was a little disappointing off another corner scramble,” Baker said. “I thought the girls responded well in the second half and got the deserved equalizer, and both teams had good looks so based on the balance of the game 1-1 is probably fair.”
For Bori, it was her first goal of the season, and first in her Owl career, after being named to the AAC all rookie team her freshman year. Horan led the Owls in assists last season and early on in the year she got her first on a beautiful dish where she flashed her blazing speed.
FAU opened their season playing in the football stadium with a large crowd and Sunday’s affair was the Owls first game in FAU Soccer Stadium. That large crowd which saw the Owls in their season opener followed to their stadium opener and Patrick Baker said the fans played a major role in tonight’s matchup.
“I want to thank the fans for coming to the game on Thursday, great numbers in supporting the program and coming back a couple of nights later and doing the same, it helps immensely,” Baker said. “Nice moments happen defensively, or attacking, or in transition, you hear the crowd, when we scored the equalizer huge, huge roar, it goes along ways hopefully they keep coming back, we play again at home on Thursday against FIU.”
The Owls have found a little bit of momentum with a bounce back second half in this one, and at 0-1-1, FAU will look to get their first win of the season on Thursday against FIU, which will be the Owls final home game in the month of August. Following that, a road trip will be on deck, as the Owls will head to Louisiana Lafayette next Sunday and Alabama on Thursday August 29th.