NAMPA, Idaho – Despite playing a man down for the last 25 minutes of action, Northwest Nazarene men's soccer battled to a 2-2 draw with Western Washington on Thursday afternoon.
The Nighthawks move to 3-3-3 on the year and 0-1-1 in GNAC play, picking up their first point of the conference season with the draw.
Derek Johnson got the scoring going in the 11
th minute, dribbling through multiple defenders before slotting in a low ball just inside the far post to put NNU up 1-0.
The Vikings were able to head in a loose ball in the box in the 21
st minute, knotting the score at 1-1.
Johnson then registered his second goal of the game, and fourth this season, as he took a pass from
Abdullahi Sharif and fired a strike into the back of the net to put the Nighthawks back up in the 33
rd minute.
NNU led 2-1 at halftime, but WWU tied the game again just four minutes into the second period on a free kick goal from 25 yards out.
In the 66
th minute, NNU's Illyes El Yansli was given a red card, forcing the Nighthawks to play with ten men for the rest of the game. NNU didn't break, with both teams having chances over the last 25 minutes but neither breaking through for a game-winner.
Shots were even at 10 apiece, with the Vikings putting six on target and the Nighthawks sending three on frame.
NNU will now host Simon Fraser on Saturday, with game time set for 12:30 p.m. in Nampa.
