WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's soccer team strengthened its hold on second place in the Mountain East Conference North Division on Saturday by battling defending MEC champion Notre Dame (Ohio) to a 1-1 double-overtime draw at the West Family Athletic Complex.
     This was the second meeting of the season between the North Division rivals and the second time they finished in a deadlock. The Hilltoppers (4-2-3, 3-1-2) and Falcons (2-2-3, 2-1-3) had gone scoreless through 120 minutes in South Euclid, Ohio last month.
     Notre Dame hit the scoreboard first on Saturday when Blake Allen finished off an assist from Isabel Sentle in the 23rd minute. West Liberty keeper Olivia Montgomery turned aside three other shots by the visitors and NDC netminder Jordan Pasalaqua had a pair of saves as the visitors carried that 1-0 lead into intermission.
     The Black and Gold finally broke through in the 78th minute as Alyssa Rhinaman slipped one past Pasalaqua off an Anne Williams assist. Neither team scored again in the remaining minutes of regulation or the two 10-minute extra frames with the keepers and their defensive mates controlling most of the action. Montgomery finished with 7 saves for the hosts while Pasalaqua was charted with 5 saves.
     The West Liberty women return to the MEC road on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. match at Alderson Broaddus.
  Notre Dame (Ohio)                           1  0  0  0 – 1
West Liberty                                       0  1  0  0 – 1        NDC: Blake Allen (Isabel Sentle), 22:24        WLU: Alyssa Rhinaman (Anne Williams), 77:30        Shots: Notre Dame 8, West Liberty 6
       Saves: Notre Dame 5 (Jordan Pasalaqua 5), West Liberty 7 (Olivia Montgomery 7)
       Corners: Notre Dame 2, West Liberty 1
A: 127