HOUSTON – A full 110 minutes of soccer in near 100-degree Houston temperatures was not enough to settle the Rice-Dayton soccer match Sunday afternoon at Holloway Field. The Owls and Flyers finished the contest in a 2-2 deadlock.

 

The Owls opened the scoring in the game's 10th minute. Rice junior Holly Hargreaves blasted away on a shot from inside the 18 that Dayton keeper Elizabeth James deflected away for a save. The Flyers avoided Hargreaves' shot, but Owl senior Danielle Spriggs opportunistically played the deflection from close range and found the back of the net with a shot of her own. The goal was the first of Spriggs' career.

 

It was only the 10th minute and a talented Dayton team would not go away so easily. The Flyers struck back for goals in the 22ns and 31st minutes to take a 2-1 advantage at the intermission.

 

Rice battled back with 10-5 lead in shots in the second stanza and tied the contest in the 57th minute. Sophomore Jenny Fichera's high serve was at a tough angle from the right side, but grazed the crossbar before landing in traffic in the keeper's box. Hargreaves won control of the ball and quickly passed to a charging Lauren Hughes before drawing a crowd of Dayton defenders. Hughes punched in a shot for the equalizer. The goal was Hughes' first of the season and 19th of her Rice career.

 

Both teams combined for a total of 47 shots in the 110-minute marathon, but the scoring was finished at 2-2. Hargreaves finished the afternoon with a pair of assists while leading the Owls with six shots. Rice senior keeper Amy Czyz registered season-best nine saves. Rice and Dayton are now both an identical 0-1-1 on the season.