Patriot League play started out in a very tame fashion for the Colgate women’s soccer team, as the Raiders tied Navy, 0-0, in front of a crowd of 962 in Annapolis.

Navy, the pre-season Patriot League favorite, was always going to be a tough opponent for Colgate, but the Raiders played very well, matching Navy on every part of the field. Over the course of the match, Colgate outshot Navy, 16-14, but Navy managed more shots on target, forcing first-year goalkeeper Ashley Walsh into seven saves.

The game was very back-and-forth, with only one golden chance in the match, and that chance fell to Colgate. With about five minutes remaining in the first half, Colgate’s first-year defender Sarah Henderson drew out Navy’s keeper, Beth Reed, leaving her with an open goal. Henderson’s effort was bound for, in the words of Tommy Smyth, “the back of the ol’ onion bag,” but a fantastic goal-line clearance from Navy kept the game level.

In overtime, Navy outshot Colgate 4-2, but the always stellar performance of Walsh kept the team in the game, and sent them home with a draw to be proud of.

“It was encouraging to go to Navy and get a tie,” senior co-captain Jillian Arnault said. “While we would have liked to come away with the win, it was a solid game by our team and gives us confidence to carry into the rest of Patriot League play.”

Colgate continues league play with two matches this weekend, taking on Lehigh on Friday night at 7 p.m, followed by Lafayette on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Both matches are at home on Van Doren Field.