Lynchburg, Va. -- Carson Boyd scored early and Luke Mega evened the score with an 80th minute penalty kick to propel the 25th-ranked University of Lynchburg men's soccer team to a 2-2 draw with visiting Mary Washington Wednesday night.
Neither team was able to take control of the match in the early going as both defenses didn't allow a shot in the first 16:31 of play. Those defensive units continued to hold serve until the 34th minute, when Seth Dale made a nifty move and beat his defender to the end line, where he played a cross in from the right-side of the box. Boyd got on the end of it and finished in the lower right corner for a 1-0 Lynchburg advantage that the Hornets took into the half.
Boyd's goal was Lynchburg's first against Mary Washington since Sept. 14, 2017, ending a scoreless drought of more than 330 minutes against the in-state rival.
After halftime, Lynchburg earned a couple chances to add onto the lead, but both were stifled by great saves from Eagles keeper Griffin Hemmendinger, and UMW took advantage. After a Hornets foul in dangerous territory, UMW's Juan Vargas got his noggin on the end of a free kick and scored to tie the match in the 55th minute.
About 13 minutes later, UMW drew a foul in the box, and Diego Guzman put away the ensuing penalty kick to put the visitors in front.
Lynchburg, as the Hornets have all season to this point, came up with the late heroics, though. Brennan Lagana tracked down a Dale throw-in and drove into the box, where he was tripped up, earning the Hornets a penalty kick of their own in the 81st minute.
Mega stepped to the spot for the first time since his clinching PK in overtime of the 2021 Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship and buried the equalizing goal, the senior's sixth goal of the season.
Both teams mustered late chances, but both keepers – UMW's Hemmendinger and Lynchburg's Justin Ennis – made big plays to preserve the draw. Ennis made four saves on the evening.
Lynchburg (3-0-4) will remain home to open up ODAC play Saturday night at 7 against Randolph-Macon.
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