Women's Soccer Ties Howard, 1-1, For Squad's Second Straight Deadlock

Kayla Ward scored a goal 10:26 into the match, and goalkeeper Melina Ford made a total of eight saves on the afternoon, as the host Central Connecticut State University women's soccer team battled the defending Northeast Conference champion, Howard University Bison, to a 1-1 tie in New Britain on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  With their second consecutive  draw, the Blue Devils are now 0-4-3 overall and 0-0-2 in conference play; while Howard, playing its first NEC match of 2025, is now 0-0-1 in conference action and 2-4-2..

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score:  CCSU 1 Howard 1
Records: CCSU (0-4-3, 0-0-2 NEC), Howard (2-4-2, 0-0-1 NEC)
Location: CCSU Soccer Field |New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• The Blue Devils got off to quick start on Sunday when sophomore Kayla Ward netted her first goal of the season and her CCSU career just 10:26 into play when she put home a feed from Leah Howe to give Central a 1-0 lead.
• Ward's goal would be the only scoring in the first 45 minutes of action, as the Blue Devils would head into the break up 1-0, as Melina Ford made one save to keep the visitors off the scoreboard..
• CCSU outshot Howard by a slim 6-5 margin in the first half.
• The visitors would tie things up at 1-1 just 3:45 into the second stanza when Gabriella Garcia-Terrell would make a long run through the CCSU defense and slot a low shot into the corner of the net just past an outstretch Ford.
• The match would end in a 1-1 tie as Melina Ford was outstanding in net for the Blue Devils in the second half making a total of seven saves over the final 45 minutes of actions, as she was under heavy pressure facing a total of 16 shots from the Bison.

NUMBER TO KNOW

8-Saves by Melina Ford on Sunday ties her season-high also set versus Brown on September 14.

NOTES

• After dishing off two assists on Thursday night and scoring a goal on Sunday, Kayla Ward is now tied Rachel Wygant for the team lead in points so far this season with four.
• Wygant leads the Blue Devils in goals with two so far in 2025.
• Howard finished Sunday's match with a 21-12 edge in shots and a 7-3 advantage in corners.
• The Blue Devils had six shots in each half versus the Bison led by Riley Powers with four attempts, and Kayla Ward had three shots, two of which were on goal.
• Howard's Trinity Knox made four saves in Sunday's deadlock.
• Central now has scored six goals so far this season.
• Next Thursday's game at Chicago State will be CCSU's first road match since playing at Manhattan on August 21.

UP NEXT

• The Blue Devils hit the road for a quick trip to the Windy City of Chicago on Thursday evening for a Northeast Conference tilt versus the Cougars of Chicago State University.  Game is set for 6:00 p.m. Eastern time (5:00 p.m. local).  Central returns to the CCSU Soccer Field next Sunday, September 28 for a matchup against NEC newcomer the University of New Haven.  Action against the Chargers will begin at 3:00 p.m.  Next Sunday is a soccer doubleheader day, as the men's team will welcome FDU at 12 noon.

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