Box Score Colorado College proved that it is a serious contender for the Conference USA regular-season championship on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Tigers came from behind to earn a 1-1 tie against No. 25 UCF and remain undefeated in the conference with a 3-0-1 record.
 
“We've talked to the team about digging ourselves out of a hole, and that's what we did today and that's what we've been doing all season,” head coach Geoff Bennett said. “We proved something to ourselves and to a lot of other people by tying a very good UCF team on the road.” 
 
Lauren DiGregorio squared the game in the 75th minute when she took a through pass from Jessie Ayers, touched the ball around her mark, and beat goalkeeper Aline Reis with a running shot to the left corner. The sophomore forward has figured in at least one goal during five of CC's last six games, helping her team post a 4-0-2 record in those contests.
 
Colorado College nearly won it 5:23 into the first overtime, but DiGregorio drilled a shot off the crossbar from 20 yards out.
 
“That was a great goal by DiGregorio,” Bennett said. “Then she hit the crossbar in overtime with a shot that we all thought was going in. We had a couple of other dangerous opportunities in overtime. There were a lot of good chances at both ends. It was a back-and-forth game.”
 
The Knights scored the all-important first goal when Emily Grider tapped in a pass from Jennifer Martin in the 54th minute. CC had played 436:02 since allowing a goal in the closing minutes of regulation time during the 1-1 ties against Fresno State on Sept, 16. The Tigers have not allowed more than one goal in a game since a 4-1 loss against North Carolina State on Sept. 4.
 
This time, however, Colorado College came from behind to earn a tie for the second time this season, moving to 0-4-2 when its opponent scored first.
 
Hanna Berglund made seven saves to give the Tigers a chance to come back.
 
It marked the third time in five seasons CC and the Knights went to overtime and the second time the contest finished in a tie.
 
UCF launched 24 total shots and had five corner kicks, while the Tigers took 18 shots and forced four corners.
 
Reis stopped three shots for the Knights (7-2-3 overall and 2-1-1 in C-USA).
 
“This is a tough trip, playing at Southern Miss on Friday and then facing UCF on Sunday,” Bennett said. “We're going to enjoy what we accomplished this weekend and then enjoy playing at home next weekend.”
 
Colorado College returns to Stewart Field next weekend to play host to Rice University and the University the University of Houston on Friday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 9, respectively.