The Lady Roadrunners had their chances but could not convert opportunities into goals as Dalton State settled for a 0-0 tie against visiting Faulkner (Ala.) in SSAC action at Lakeshore Park Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Roadrunners would jump on the attack quick with two Andrea Lopez shots on goal in the 3' and 4', but Lady Eagle goalkeeper Rakeema Najiy would be up to the task with two big saves. The next 23 minutes would be a mid-field battle with both teams looking to establish the attack.
Faulkner would get in on the action with 16 minutes remaining in the half when Lacey Eden got two shots off on goal, but Sydnee Newton would stone both shots to keep the score tied at 0-0.
Both defenses would play tough the remainder of the half as the score would remain tied at 0-0 after the first 45 minutes of play.
After a struggle for possession to begin the half, Faulkner would be the first to attack. Emily Copeland would fire a shot, but Newton would collect the save. It would then be the Lady Roadrunners turn to attack. Adriana Romero would take a shot that would be stopped by Najiy.
Dalton State would take control of the match with 32 minutes remaining and keep the ball in the Faulkner half of the pitch. For the remainder of regulation, the Lady Birds would get great looks and out shoot the Lady Eagles 9-0. With time ticking down the Lady Roadrunners would find opportunities, but could not get the ball past Najiy who played rock solid in goal. Time would end with the teams tied at 0-0.
The first overtime would come and pass as both teams looked to catch their breath after an intense end to regulation. Dalton State would maintain the possession advantage and get one shot off that Najiy saved. Time would run out as both teams prepared for a final overtime period.
The Lady Roadrunners would come out looking to end the game early in the second overtime period. Their best look would come with 2:31 remaining on a try from Alyssa Bilbrey, but Najiy would sky to the corner for the save and knock the ball away. Sarah Chamale would get the last chance for the Lady Roadrunners, but her shot would be blocked by Eden before it got to goal. Faulkner would clear the ball out of the zone and time would run out as the Lady Birds had to settle for a 0-0 tie.
Dalton State sits at (6-4-2 overall, 0-3-1 SSAC) with the tie, while Faulkner is now (1-7-2 overall, 0-3-1 SSAC). The Lady Roadrunner defense was once again stout allowing just three shots on goal, while the offense attacked and made holes in the Faulkner defense. In all, Dalton State would out shoot Faulkner 17-4 (11-3 on goal).
Rakeema Najiy would be the star of the night for both teams. The Faulkner goalkeeper would face a barrage of Dalton State shots and come away with 11 saves on the day.
Dalton State will look to collect their first SSAC win of the season as they travel to Cochran on October 18 for a mid-week match against Middle Georgia State. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.