PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Malaya Sperber (Fr.-Grafton, Wis.) tied the score just over 10 minutes into the second half and the Lakeland University women's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw with Concordia University Chicago Saturday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game at Taylor Field.

The Muskies answered a Cougars goal just over three minutes before and went on to their first tie this season overall and in conference. Lakeland is now 1-4-1 overall and 0-1-1 in the NACC while Concordia is 5-3-1 overall and 1-0-1 in conference.

In a game that was close throughout and featured a number of momentum swings, both goals came just 3 minutes, 22 seconds apart. The first came at 51:44 of the match, when a turnover at midfield resulted in a quick transition. Quetzalli Arteaga-Vazquez sent a ball ahead through the defense and Mia Hariyama held her position just long enough to stay onside, then beat goalkeeper Ingrid Steinbock (Fr.-Oostburg, Wis.) to the ball to score and make it 1-0.

The Muskies bounced back quickly, as pressure from forwards and midfielders deep in Concordia's end paid off. Chloe Bartlett (So.-Canton, Ill.), Jenna Caterino (Sr.-Stanton, Mich.) and Marlen Reyes (Sr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) all played parts disrupting the Cougars' attempt to advance the ball upfield, and Addison Weed (Fr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) won the ball back with a long header to Sperber in the middle of the field. Sperber then took several touches going left before launching a shot with her left foot from 22 yards out, a beauty to the upper left corner just inside the crossbar and left post for her third goal of the season.

The teams then went back and forth for the next 20 minutes until a twist came with just over 12 minutes left with a red card given to CUC's Luciana Moran Cruz. The Cougars played one player down the remainder of the match, and the Muskies took advantage.

Lakeland was on the offensive most of the final minutes, and its best chance came in the 84th minute. A push inside the 18 resulted in Lia Armstrong (So.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) with a shot from straight on that was just over the crossbar and hit the bottom of the football goalpost. Both teams ran out of gas in the final minutes.

Concordia came in on the program's best start in 10 years and defeated Lakeland 4-0 a year ago, but this year's match was played on largely even terms. The Cougars finished with a slim 10-8 lead in shot attempts and an 8-4 lead in shots on goal. Steinbock made seven saves, and with several injuries on the backline the Muskies received good performances from a defense including Gwynn Manteufel (Sr.-Kewaskum, Wis.), Alondra Reyes (Sr.-Milwaukee, Wis.), Abby Runkel (Sr.-Burlington, Wis.) and Allison Solberg-Kieler (Jr.-Ridgeway, Wis.).

Brooke Sheriff made three saves in goal for Concordia Chicago, which earned its first five wins this season all on shutouts.

Lakeland is home again Wednesday when it welcomes Milwaukee School of Engineering at 7 p.m. at Taylor Field.