Bermudian defender Danni Watson played her part in a resolute defensive and rallying display as West Virginia State University fought back from behind to claim a thrilling 2-2 derby draw against the University of Charleston.
Following a period of sustained early pressure, the Yellow Jackets made their dominance count in the 34th minute. After Leila Karam unsettled the visiting backline, forward Cali Questel pounced, picking out the bottom right corner with an unerring low drive to open the scoring.
Charleston emerged from the break with renewed intent, turning the contest on its head inside a frantic seven-minute spell. Despite Yellow Jackets goalkeeper Celina Seggelmann producing a string of sharp stops, the Golden Eagles found a route through in the 51st minute to equalise, before executing a slick, double-assisted move seven minutes later to surge 2-1 ahead.
Faced with a deficit, WVSU mounted an immediate response. Mary Kahraman tested the Charleston goalkeeper with a stinging effort on 65 minutes, and the hosts' persistence was rewarded moments later. Sara París Fílter stood over a set-piece 20 yards out, curling a sumptuous direct free kick beyond the reach of the diving stopper to level the scoreline with 23 minutes remaining.
Questel spearheaded a late charge for all three points, blazing two efforts narrowly wide of the target, before Seggelmann stood firm at the other end, repelling a dangerous late flurry from the Golden Eagles to preserve a hard-earned point.
The result leaves Watson’s Yellow Jackets at 1-2-2 overall and 1-1-1 in Mountain East Conference play, remaining locked on points with their in-state rivals in the league standings.
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