The North Lake Blazers and Richland Thunderducks faced off in a dramatic home game on Sept. 26 with North Lake stealing a late draw in front of the home crowd. Richland struck first, 22 minutes into the game, when Kaylee Haskins found the back of the net in a penalty kick giving the visitors a 1-0 edge that held through most of the contest.

Despite being outshot 18-8, the Thunderducks could not put the game away. North Lake goalkeeper Elise Buendia kept her team alive, blocking six shots while playing the full 90 minutes.

North Lake’s attack was led by Jasmine Perez, Angelica Canchola and Reese Burgess, who combined for seven of the team’s eight shots, but Richland’s defense continued to hold strong. Although the Thunderducks controlled much of the play, their 18 attempts were not enough to secure the victory.

A dramatic last-minute strike from Jasmine Perez tied the game in the final minute of regulation, scoring unassisted to even the score 1-1, ending the game in a draw. Both sides showed discipline with no fouls recorded, although North Lake’s Buendia and Keira Cantu picked up yellow cards. The draw moves both teams forward in conference play.