WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Sept. 27) – A historic performance by Saint Vincent freshman Emma Koller highlighted the Bearcats' wild 4-4 draw at Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Waynesburg University.
 
Koller scored all four goals for the Bearcats (5-3-1, 1-1-1 PAC), including the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute, but Waynesburg University (4-3-1, 2-0-1 PAC) salvaged the tie after scoring on a free kick with just 1:29 left in the second half. In all, the match saw four ties and four lead changes.
 
Koller is the first Saint Vincent player to record a four-goal game since Julie Gongaware, the program's all-time leading scorer, netted four goals in a win over Pitt-Greensburg on Sept. 12, 2000.
 
Koller got the scoring started in the game's 16th minute. With the Bearcats applying pressure deep inside the offensive zone, Koller picked up a deflection in front, split a pair of defenders, and knocked it home to give SVC the early lead.
 
As was the case throughout the evening, Waynesburg quickly answered back, needing just three minutes to score the game-tying goal by Kate James. Keeping the momentum, the Yellow Jackets would take their first lead of the night, 2-1, on Reagen Mittenberger's goal in the 23rd minute.
 
SVC tied the game 12 minutes later, with Koller scoring her second goal in similar fashion as her first. Waynesburg looked to get control of an SVC throw-in deep inside the Bearcat offensive end, but Koller applied pressure and picked the ball off and blasted a quick, turning shot from less than 10 yards out to even the score at 2-2, which is how the score would stand at the intermission.
 
Over the opening 45 minutes, the two teams combined for 18 shots, with SVC holding a 10-8 advantage.
 
Saint Vincent held the majority of the possession in the opening stages of the second half and saw a number of scoring chances, before Koller recorded the hat trick with a spectacular goal to give the lead back to the Bearcats. With just over 22 minutes left in the game, she completed a run down the sideline, made a quick move to split two defenders, and blasted a shot from just inside the corner of the box inside the crossbar to put the Bearcats up, 3-2.
 
The Bearcats would continue to control possession as the clock wound down, but in the 74th minute, a dangerous kick foul was whistled on an SVC defender deep in Waynesburg territory, the the Yellow Jackets' Mittendorf cashed in on the ensuing penalty kick to tie the game at 3-all with 16:04 left.
 
With just over 14 minutes left, SVC controlled a Waynesburg goal kick at midfield. On the ensuing rush, Tanisha Grewal had an attempt from 15 yards out blocked, but was able to regain possession and tap it to Koller, who booted in her fourth of the night from the center of the box to put the Bearcats back in front, 4-3, with 14:17 left to play.
 
Saint Vincent kept Waynesburg at bay over the next several minutes to maintain the lead, but with 1:34 left, the Bearcats were whistled for a foul just inside midfield and the resulting free kick by Waverly Lorne from 40 yards out found its way into the net to tie the game at 4-4. Neither team would be able to muster another scoring chance, and the wild game would end in a draw.
 
The Bearcats closed the evening with a 20-15 advantage in shots, with Koller credited with eight attempts and Grewal seven. Madison Arnold went the distance in goal for SVC and made four saves.
 
Saint Vincent will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 30, welcoming PAC rival Geneva to Latrobe for a noon kickoff at UPMC Field. On Vs. Cancer Day, the Bearcats will be collecting donations for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. More information can be found at this link.