The Pen High Lakers senior girls soccer team collected their first point of the AAA Okanagan Valley action Monday.
The Lakers built a 2-0 lead on the NorKam Saints at Pen High on goals by Marisa Mendonca, in the opening five minutes, and Jordyn Kowolchuk near the 25-minute mark. The Saints managed a goal before the half ended then scored the equalizer midway through the final half for a 2-2 draw.
The Lakers applied pressure late and had a shot by Mendonca hit the cross bar.
"They played hard, they pressed all the time," said Lakers coach Carlos Mendonca. "I asked the girls to force the other team to play the football and we saw it out there. The girls were pressing. I think we created enough chances."
As the Lakers applied late pressure, the Saints stepped up their defensive play and blocked some open lanes.
"I think they started pulling a couple players back a little bit, trying to plug up the field so there wasn't that shooting opportunity," said Mendonca. "They played well. They bottled up and they were very compact inside their 18-yard box."
Saints coach Curtis Kanigan said his team came out flat in the opening 20 minutes then got their heads back in the game. He said perseverance helped them come back as they played with urgency.
"Our forwards made sure that they capitalized on their chances, our midfield made sure they were making solid passes, and our defence did their best to take chances away from Pen High," said Kanigan. "Pen High has a solid team. Their goaltender (Natasha Reimer) had a strong game and No.10 (Mendonca) was very hard to contain."
Scoring for the Saints were Sam Ryan and Moraya Harrison. The Saints now have one win and three draws.
The Lakers opened the season with a 3-2 loss to Mt. Boucherie. Mendonca and Kyra Wallace scored in that game. The Lakers also lost to Kelowna's KLO and 1-0 to the South Kamloops Titans. Their next game is May 4 against the Rutland Voodoo.