By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Playing on its home turf for the first time in 35 days, App State Soccer increased its unbeaten streak to five consecutive games, following a 2-2 draw with Coastal Carolina at The Valley.
The Mountaineers (5-3-4, 2-0-2) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Less than four minutes into the contest, Olivia Simon jumped a passing lane to win possession and threaded a pass through the legs of a Chanticleer defender to find Izzi Wood, who drilled it into the top-right corner of the goal.
Coastal Carolina (5-4-5, 1-1-3) equalized the score in the early minutes of the second half. Yasmin Azar was able to beat her Mountaineer defender down the sideline and fed a pass in front to Eleanor Ashton, who was able to tap it home to tie the score at 1-1.
Following the equalizer, App State generated numerous scoring chances in the minutes that followed, their efforts paying off with a go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute. Off a Stephanie Barbosa corner kick, Ellie Garrison leapt in the air and headed the ball to Wood, who delivered a header of her own into the back of the net.
The goal was Wood’s eighth of the season, tying her for the Sun Belt Conference lead. It was also goal No. 23 of her career, moving Wood into fifth place on the App State all-time scoring list. She has now scored seven goals in her last seven games.
App State carried the 2-1 lead into the closing minutes but, with two minutes to play, Coastal Carolina’s Ashton came through with a brace of her own, curling a free kick just inside the near post to level the score at 2-2.
App State outshot the Chanticleers 14-6 overall and 8-4 in shots on target, led by six shots from Wood and five from Garrison.
Noteworthy: Ella Hoover made her first career start for the Mountaineers, while Shannon Studer returned to action after missing her past three games due to injury.
The Mountaineers will be back in action on Sunday when they face off with Marshall at 1 p.m. in Huntington, W. Va.
