NEW LONDON, Conn.  -  It was a tale of two strategies in Wednesday night's women's soccer match-up between Coast Guard and Wentworth Institute of Technology. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, but the way each team got there was vastly different: WIT took 6 shots on goal, while the Bears took all the chances they could get and finished the match with 29 scoring attempts of their own.  The result was Coast Guard's first non-loss of the season, putting their record at 0-5-1.

The draw moves Wentworth to 3-2-2 heading into their conference opener on Saturday afternoon against Curry College, who are 3-2-1 after a 2-3 loss at UMass Boston on Wednesday night. The Leopards fell to Curry, 0-3, in their regular season match-up last year.

Coast Guard took four shots in the first ten minutes of the match before WIT was able to attempt one themselves. The Bears took a total of ten shots in the first half before finally succeeding on an attempt in the 44th minute on a goal by Tara Jessen (Signal Mountain, Tenn.). The junior midfielder had subbed in during the 26th minute and attempted two shots earlier-on before finally converting for her first goal of the season.

Coast Guard had a chance to widen the gap on a 51st-minute corner kick. Lulu Vlases (Bozeman, Mont.) received the cross and played itvtowards the top right corner, but the midfielder's attempt was deterred and sent out of bounds by Wentworth's goalkeeper. The ensuing corner went nowhere for the Bears, but the visitors capitalized on the change in possession and soon evened the score in the 54th minute.

The Leopards took the momentum and scored again just a few minutes later. Coast Guard goalkeeper Julia Little (Fort Meade, Md.) deflected a close shot on goal in the 58th minute, but an opposing attacker was there for the follow-up shot while Little was recovering to put WIT up 2-1.

Coast Guard was now on the counter-attack and found an opportunity in the 66th minute via another corner kick, which was played out by Wentworth's defenders. The Bears retained possession, however, and sent a long shot from outside the penalty area towards the Leopards' goal. WIT's goalie made the save but was unable to secure the ball properly, leading to Tealani Wasson (Kahuku, Hawai'i) taking advantage and sending a game-evener into the top center area of the goal. The junior's first goal of the season couldn't have come at a better time, staving off a possible sixth-straight Coast Guard loss for the time-being.

The Bears found themselves in another prime opportunity in the 69th minute. A questionable challenge in the WIT penalty area by an opposing defender was answered with a yellow card and a penalty kick for the hosts, but Coast Guard was unable to take advantage of the chance. Neither team was able to break the deadlock by the time the head referee blew for full time.

Little played the full 90 minutes and made 3 saves. It was the sophomore's first collegiate start and second appearance, with her first being late into a 2-1 victory over Mount Holyoke College last season. Coast Guard's defense, led by senior captain Grace Flynn (Severna Park, Md.) and fellow senior Kelsey Ward (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), tied a season-low for shots allowed with their performance, which was previously set following last Saturday's 0-3 loss to Eastern Connecticut State. Defending midfielder Sydney Park (Severna Park, Md.) and first-year defender Mia Lambert (Rome, Italy) spent the full 90 on the pitch. The Bears also set a slew of season-highs during the match; shots taken, shots on goal (19), fouls (16), and corner kicks (12).

Women's soccer will be back in action on Saturday afternoon, opening their NEWMAC schedule against Clark; kick-off is set for 1:00 PM. The Cougars are 3-3 this season following Wednesday night's 3-0 win over Fitchburg State. The team from Worcester, Mass. finished 8th on last year's conference table, a spot under Coast Guard. Clark won last year's regular-season match against the Bears, 1-0.