GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University and Young Harris College played to a 0-0 draw Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Field in a non-conference women's soccer match.
Both the Pioneers (2-9-4) and the Mountain Lions (9-4-4) had 11 shot attempts in the match, with Tusculum keeper Grayson Patterson earning her second shutout of the season with three saves and Young Harris keeper McKenna Peaster making five stops for her third clean sheet of the year.
Young Harris played its second 0-0 draw of the year, following a scoreless stalemate with West Georgia on Sept. 3, while Tusculum had its first match without a goal since playing a 0-0 contest at Wingate on Oct. 22, 2022. The Pioneers' last 0-0 match at home was against Palm Beach Atlantic on Sept. 2, 2018.
Young Harris nearly took a 1-0 lead just 2 1/2 minutes into the match, but a shot from 25 yards by Maya Cramer rang off the far post behind Patterson. Less than two minutes later, the Mountain Lions' Alexis Scarpinato got behind the Tusculum defense but chipped a shot wide of the target.
Tusculum's first shot attempt came in the 12th minute as Sydney Grant carried down the right side, but fired a shot high and wide as Peaster came off her line to challenge.
The only shot on goal for either team in the first half came in the 43rd minute, when Tusculum's Tanna Bookhamer turned and rolled a shot in on Peaster from 25 yards.
With just over two minutes to go in the half, the Pioneers had their best scoring chance as a headed pass from Macy Vermillion found Wilma Axelsson at the six, but she chipped a shot over the crossbar.
Young Harris had the first shot of the second half in the 50th minute, but a drive from 25 yards by Charlotte Brown toward the upper left corner was directed wide by Patterson. The Mountain Lions had a chance in the 61st minute off a corner, but a long shot from Gracie Smith was grabbed on a bounce by Patterson.
In the 61st minute, Patterson would collect a low shot from Scarpinato who had spun around a defender before shooting from 15 yards. Just over two minutes later, Grant found space inside the 18 and let go a low shot that was just wide of the near post.
With time winding down, the Pioneers brought the pressure and forced Peaster to make three saves in a span of 90 seconds. Grant broke down the left side and rolled a shot on target in the 84th minute, followed a minute later by a run from Bookhamer that saw Peaster come out to nearly the top of the box before batting away the shot attempt.
Tusculum's last opportunity may have been its best of the day, as with just under five minutes left Grant took a shot from 15 yards that was mishandled by Peaster, allowing Bookhamer a glimpse at an open net that sailed wide.
The Mountain Lions finished the match with 11 fouls, while the Pioneers were whistled for seven. Each team was flagged twice for offsides, and Young Harris had a 7-5 edge in corner kicks over Tusculum.
The Pioneers will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 1 with a trip to Carson-Newman for a 7:30 p.m. match with the Eagles (6-6-2, 4-4-1 SAC), who host Limestone on Saturday before their showdown with the Pioneers.
