WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Jess Beck and
Lauren McCauley both scored Sunday to help the Elon women's soccer team (7-3-4, 2-2-2 CAA) come from two down for a 2-2 tie against Monmouth (7-2-5, 2-1-3 CAA) at Hesse Field on the Great Lawn.
Monmouth scored a pair of first-half goals to go ahead 2-0, but Beck cut Elon's deficit in half with a goal in the closing minutes of the period. McCauley then leveled the contest with a goal in the 63rd minute and
Naomi Person made several key stops down the stretch in Elon's net to secure the tie.
This was the third time in conference play this season Elon has come from behind to secure either a tie or win. It was also the first time the Phoenix has come from down multiple goals to tie a match since 2018.
The come-from-behind tie secured an important conference point for the Phoenix as Elon pulled ahead of College of Charleston for solo third in the CAA South Division standings with eight points.
How It Happened
- Person made a pair of saves off two Monmouth corner kick attempts in the opening three minutes.
- Monmouth got on the board in the 15th minute with a goal from Chloe Messer.
- The Hawks doubled their lead in the 33rd minute with a second goal by Messer.
- Elon cut its deficit in half with a goal in the 39th minute. Beck converted for the Phoenix off an assist from Isa Murdock to make it a 2-1 game entering halftime.
- Murdock put the first shot of the second half on goal, but it was denied by Monmouth goalkeeper Tallulah Miller. McCauley followed with a pair of shots in quick succession, forcing Miller to make a save on the second attempt.
- Jordan Green forced another Miller stop in the 53rd minute as the Phoenix took the first four shots of the second half.
- McCauley tied the match for the Phoenix with an equalizing goal in the 63rd minute.
- Person made her fourth stop of the contest in the 70th minute on a shot from Daniella Butash. She came up with another stop in the 76th minute, preventing Messer from getting a hat trick.
- Person was called upon again in the 81st minute and then again in the final minute to preserve a tie for the Phoenix. The Hawks attempted seven shots in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
- Talia Feigin got a shot off in the closing seconds, but Miller made a save at the buzzer.
Notable Numbers
- Beck's goal was her third of the campaign and her second in CAA play after she scored in Elon's conference opener against Campbell on Sept. 20.
- The assist on Beck's tally was Murdock's first point in CAA play after going without a point in Elon's first five conference matches. It was the forward's fifth helper of the season, tying her with Grace Gelhaus for the second most on the Phoenix.
- McCauley scored her second goal of the season and the first Aug. 30 against High Point. It was the senior's eighth career goal and the fifth to come in CAA play. She now has three points in conference play this season.
- Monmouth outshot the Phoenix 27-9 on the day but finished with just a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal. Elon put seven of its nine shot attempts on target.
- McCauley took a team-high three shots in 49 minutes of reserve action.
- Ava Hellner and Alexis Pierce both went the full 90 minutes for the second straight match. Elon utilized 17 field players in the contest.
- Isabel DiPrima made her second start of the campaign and the first since Aug. 20 at South Carolina State.
- Jessica Hill made her 50th career start on Elon's back line, playing 54 minutes.
- In goal, Person set a career high with seven saves. She stopped all four of Monmouth's second-half shots on goal and denied five straight shots on target by the Hawks to close the game.
- This was Elon's first tie after trailing by multiple goals since Oct. 23, 2018, when the Phoenix came from two down for a 2-2 draw at UNCW.
- The tie was Elon's second in conference play this season. The Phoenix also came from behind to earn a point against Hofstra on Sept. 27.
- Elon has allowed the first goal in each of its last five CAA matches. The Phoenix has come from behind to win or tie three of those contests.
- This was Elon's first time scoring multiple goals since Sept. 24 against Stony Brook, ending a season-long streak of three straight matches scoring one or fewer goals.
- The head-to-head between Elon and Monmouth remains evenly split, 1-1-1. This was the Phoenix's first result against the Hawks at Hesse Field on the Great Lawn.
- With the tie, Elon moved into solo third place in the CAA South standings, breaking its tie with College of Charleston. The Phoenix is now just two points behind William & Mary, its next opponent, for second in the division.
Up Next
Elon returns home for a pivotal CAA South match against William & Mary on Oct. 18. Kickoff at Rudd Field is set for 1 p.m.
Stay Posted
For further coverage of Elon women's soccer, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonWSoccer), Instagram (elonwsoccer) and Facebook (Elon Women's Soccer).
