The Utah State Eastern men's soccer team battled conference rival Snow College to a 1-1 draw Thursday at Castleview Hospital Soccer Field, earning a point in the Scenic West Athletic Conference standings as the regular season winds down.
The match got off to a difficult start for the Eagles, as Snow College scored in the second minute to take an early 1-0 lead.
Eastern looked for an equalizer throughout the first half, putting three shots on goal, but the Snow College goalkeeper stopped all three attempts to preserve the Badgers' lead heading into halftime.
The Eagles continued to press after the break, searching for a goal to level the match. Their persistence paid off in the 79th minute when Ishmail Shehata found the back of the net off a corner kick from Luis Velasco. The goal was Shehata's seventh of the season and brought Eastern even at 1-1.
Neither team found a late winner, and the match finished in a draw. Neither side recorded a shot on goal during the final 11 minutes.
The result leaves Eastern in third place in the Scenic West standings. With two regular season matches remaining, the Eagles need one win to secure a spot in the conference postseason tournament.
Eastern's next challenge comes against conference-leading No. 8 North Idaho College. The Cardinals enter the matchup with an undefeated 15-0-2 record. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Castleview Hospital Soccer Field.
