Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 8, 2016) – Seven minutes from pulling off an upset, Oklahoma Christian briefly let its guard down against Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Saturday afternoon, with devastating results.

But the Lady Eagles managed to hang on to earn a result against one of the Heartland Conference's better teams, a 3-3 draw at the Eagle Soccer Field that marked the first time OC hadn't lost to the Chaparrals in seven meetings.

OC (4-6-2, 2-4-2 Heartland) extended its current unbeaten streak to four games and picked up a key standings point with the draw, one many other Heartland squads won't earn against Lubbock Christian (6-2-3, 4-2-2).

The Lady Eagles, with eight points, are in sixth place in the league standings, six points behind Lubbock Christian and St. Mary's (Texas), which are tied for third. The top four teams will advance to the conference tournament. OC will travel next week for two key Heartland matchups, visiting St. Mary's on Thursday and Texas A&M International on Saturday.

"Going into the season, I don't think, if we had walked away saying we'd have tied a good team like Lubbock Christian, that too many people would have believed us," OC coach Randall Robison said. "So we take the positives out of it. The next week, we feel like if we play like that, we can compete with anyone in the conference."

Lubbock Christian beat OC by a 4-0 count earlier this season and outshot the Lady Eagles 33-12 in the return match, but it was OC that produced the better scoring chances for long stretches. The Lady Eagles rallied from an early deficit and went up 3-1 on a goal by Rubi Villegas Aguilar in the 71st minute, before two goals in 62 seconds brought the Chaparrals even.

"It should have been a better result, and ultimately this will be a tough lesson for our girls," Robison said. "We've got to finish out a game. You want to throw them a lifeline and say we haven't been in that position often, and they don't have the experience there, but they're good soccer players on the field and they know how to finish games. Just moving forward, they're going to have to do that, and they know that."

Haley Knesek put Lubbock Christian up in the 23rd minute, scoring from 12 yards out after a cross by Ashley Ledford. Michell Fuentes equalized for OC in the 34th minute, collecting a loose ball pinging around the penalty box after a corner kick by Lauren Parker and putting it past Lubbock Christian goalkeeper Sarah Palmer.

Sophia Brazil's second career goal, on a shot from six yards out after a cross from Dakota Milner, put OC ahead in the 58th minute, and after Villegas Aguilar headed home a cross from Madeline Roseke to make it 3-1, it seemed like the Lady Eagles were in good shape. OC nearly made it a three-goal lead in the 76th minute, but Fuentes' strong shot from 30 yards banged off the crossbar.

"I was real happy with the offensive production," Robison said. "We kept Lubbock on its heels more than we ever have."

But the Chaparrals didn't quit. Audra Park's header off a free kick by Kate O'Gara in the 84th minute cut the OC lead to 3-2, and in the 85th minute, Knesek scored her second goal of the game (and seventh of the season), a 15-yard volley after collecting a loose ball.

Lubbock Christian outshot OC 8-1 in the two 10-minute overtime periods, but OC goalkeeper Carina Schanz proved up to the task, preserving the draw. The sophomore from Neuweiler, Germany, finished with a career-high 11 saves.

Palmer had three saves for Lubbock Christian in 78½ minutes before giving way to Leah Beikmann, who played the final 31½ minutes and made one save.

OC coach Randall Robison discusses the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNiU1mhE5ao&feature=em-upload_owner