GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University and Newberry College played to a 1-1 draw in South Atlantic Conference men's soccer action Saturday at Pioneer Field.
The Pioneers (1-6-5, 1-4-4 SAC) outshot the Wolves (4-5-3, 2-3-3 SAC) by a 14-3 margin, but could not solve Newberry keeper Pablo Cubas with the exception of a goal from Luis De La Fuente in the 14th minute. Tusculum nursed the lead into the second half, but Newberry got the equalizer with 13:26 remaining off the foot of Uriel Zarracan.
The draw extended the Pioneers' unbeaten streak to four matches (1-0-3) and was the fourth draw in the last six matches for Tusculum. The five ties for the Pioneers are one shy of the program single-season record of six draws set during the 2017 season.
Cubas, who finished with nine saves, went to work in the first 90 seconds as he made a kick stop on a shot from Damien Baltide and followed up with a stop on De La Fuente.
Tusculum went up 1-0 at 13:38 as Ignacio Alconchel made a short pass to De La Fuente, who shot past Cubas for his fifth goal of the season and his fourth in the last two games.
The Wolves would be held without a shot in the first half, while the Pioneers would get a chance from Pedro Concheso that was fired high in the 35th minute and an attempt by Alconchel in the 44th minute that was stopped on a lunge by Cubas.
Newberry's first shot attempt would come in the 49th minute as Ethan Orozco missed just wide to the right of Tusculum keeper Bruno De Freitas from the top of the box. Alconchel would put a roller in on Cubas in the 64th minute, then add two more shots on goal in the 67th and 68th minutes.
Tusculum protected its 1-0 lead until the 77th minute, when a ball caromed off two Newberry players and settled onto the foot of Zarracan, who fired home his fifth goal of the season to equalize at 76:34.
The Pioneers looked to regained the lead in the final 10 minutes, but Cubas made three saves in the closing minutes including a stop on a free kick from Cristobal Morales as a Pioneer player attempted to screen the keeper. De Freitas would earn his only save of the day with just over three minutes left as he collected a rolling shot from Newberry's Adrian Garcia.
Looking for a win, the Pioneers brought up all 11 men in the final minute after earning a corner kick when a shot from Baltide was pushed aside by Cubas. However, the Wolves were able to clear and secure the stalemate.
Tusculum had a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks over Newberry in the match, while both teams were called for 13 fouls.
The Pioneers will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 22 at 4:30 p.m. at Wingate. The Bulldogs (7-3-4, 5-1-3 SAC) won their fifth straight match on Saturday with a 1-0 victory at Lincoln Memorial, and are a point behind Carson-Newman for first place in the league with two matches remaining.
