COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's soccer team hit the road Saturday evening to face Ohio Dominican, battling to a 1-1 draw. The Panthers struck early to take a 1-0 lead into halftime, but the Storm answered midway through the second half when Leonie Witt netted her second goal of the season. Now 3-1-1 overall and 1-0-1 in G-MAC play, Lake Erie will look to keep momentum rolling as they wrap up non-conference action Tuesday against D'Youville.

Game Recap

Both sides traded chances early, each recording five shots in the opening period. Despite all five of Lake Erie's being on target, it was ODU who broke through in the 8th minute when freshman Ashley Yontz tallied her first collegiate goal, putting the Storm in a 1-0 hole. Lake Erie created quality looks but was denied repeatedly by a sharp Panthers goalkeeper.

The Storm carried strong pace and pressure into the second half, though the breakthrough took time to come. Finally, in the 71st minute on their 11th shot of the night, Witt converted off a feed from Arielle Fink to level the match at 1-1. The closing stretch was lively, with both teams combining for five more shots in the final 12 minutes, but for the third straight meeting, neither side found a winner.

The Matchup

History leaned heavily toward ODU entering the contest (2-17-2 all-time), but Lake Erie has now tied the Panthers in three straight outings. Last year, the Storm twice forced draws, including a late equalizer from Ainsley Mackenzie in the closing minutes of their first matchup. With Lake Erie generating six more shots overall and six more on target than ODU on Saturday, the result feels less like a relief and more like a missed chance — a sign of how much this program has grown in recent seasons.

Looking Ahead

The Storm stay on the road Tuesday, September 23, traveling to Buffalo, New York, for their final non-conference test against D'Youville. The Saints sit at 1-3-1 and have struggled offensively, scoring just once in five matches.