Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Two top-15 teams met on Al Barbour Field on Wednesday night and the match turned out to be every bit as exciting as advertised as No. 14 Biola and No. 9 Westmont played to a 2-2 draw.
 
This gives Biola at least a tie or win in two of the last three meetings with the perennial national power that is Westmont.
 
"It's never disappointing to tie a team of Westmont's caliber," said Head Coach Erin Brunelle. "There were moments where we started to fade a little bit but our girls clawed our way back from being down twice."
 
The first half began with Westmont dominating possession and putting a lot of consistent pressure on the Eagles' back line and keeper.
 
Despite the intense pressure strong individual play from Madyson Brown and Cat Newberry kept the Warriors from getting any worthwhile chances from the dangerous attacking zones.
 
The one let down through the first 45 minutes came on an expertly executed set piece as a Westmont defender, Alanna Richards, headed home a ball off a looping corner to put the Warriors up 1-0 less than 10 minutes into the game.
 
After the goal the pressure leveled until Head Coach Erin Brunelle entered some strong subs for Biola that began to push the pendulum more in the favor of the Eagles.
 
After a few runs up the field went without any payoff Biola found the back of the net with a header of its own in the 33^rd minute. Jessie Burns got her fourth goal of the season as she pushed a long pass in from Rachel Giles past the Westmont keeper.
 
That equalizer energized the crowd and both sides of the ball in a pressure-packed final 12 minutes of the half, but neither team was able to move in front.
 
Amanda Johnson was a huge reason the game stayed tied as she came up with a fantastic diving save with nine minutes left in the half and followed that up immediately by running out to meet the attacker and snuff out a shot on the very next run.
 
The second half seemed for a long time as if it was going to be all Westmont throughout. The Warriors got the go-ahead tally just 20 minutes into the half when their stud Kelsey Steck knocked home her team-leading sixth of the season after WC broke the Eagles' back line and made a great pass from post to post for the score.
 
Even after the goal they retained possession for another 10 minutes or so until Taylor Venegas picked the pocket of a Warriors defender and got a quick turn to get Biola's best chance of the new half. She tried to sweep the ball to Brittney Sayre to her right, but Sayre cut left and couldn't get back for the ball.
 
The tension stayed fully on the Eagles, but it was the Westmont defense that started folding as Biola used takeaway after takeaway to force dangerous opportunities in the attacking area.
 
The goal Biola did end up getting came as a direct result of the consistent pressure wearing down the Westmont defenders. A Michaila Martin throw-in led to a long pass into the box from Brianna Mikalson and another goal for Burns.
 
You could feel everyone in the stands and on the feel catch their collective breath as the match finally had the score line it deserved after a phenomenal 80 minutes of back-and-forth from each side.
 
"We're still recovering from some injuries within the team and having to ask some players to do more in different areas of the field and girls continue to step up," said Brunelle. "Tonight the flow of the game just had players like Emily Neighbors and Michaila martin having to step up their game and fill bigger roles than they've had to so far this season."
 
Biola had one more chance in regulation when Martin dialed up a dazzling attempt from distance that was met well by the Westmont keeper to preserve the tie with just six minutes remaining in the half.
 
Both teams had chances in the overtime periods, but the best opportunities came on corner kick chances for the Warriors. Two of the Warriors' six corner kicks came in the final 10-minute overtime period. The most dangerous of the two came in the 104^th minute when Brooke Lillywhite had a go at goal that was blocked from front and center.
 
Lillywhite had another shot for Westmont, but other than that the overtime went by the wayside as the two tuckered out sides let the clock run down to the final whistle for Biola's third tie of the year.
 
"The game forced both sides to bring out their best soccer. That was by far some of the best soccer we've played and will be a launching pad for us to move forward to the rest of conference play," said Brunelle.
 
Biola moves to 7-0-3 (1-0-2 GSAC) and Westmont becomes 6-2-1 (2-0-1 GSAC). The next time Biola is on the pitch is when the Eagles host Marymount College at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday in a non-conference match.