SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior Erin O'Shea scored a pair of goals, including the game-tying tally with 2:01 remaining in regulation, as the Union College women's soccer team played Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to a 2-2 (2OT) draw in Liberty League action on Saturday afternoon at College Park Field.
 
The win keeps Union (5-5-2, 2-1-1 Liberty League) in the top-third of the conference standings as the team nears the midway point of conference play, and the team has O'Shea to thank for that. The senior twice brought the Dutchwomen back from a goal down in the second half as the home team showed some fight in a key conference clash.
 
The first half was evenly played, with both teams having several quality scoring opportunities. The only goal of the half, however, came off the foot of RPI (4-2-4, 1-1-2 Liberty League) forward Erin Barnes in the 23rd minute. Whitney Wisnom served a ball from the far sideline into the middle of the field for Gwen Barnes, whose header found the foot of her sister for the putaway.
 
Union nearly evened the score in the 42nd minute, but a well-placed free kick by senior Bella Dworkin was just parried over the bar by RPI keeper Maya Kessler. Kessler finished the opening 45 minutes with five saves, while junior Abby Mitty had a pair of stops for the home team.
 
O'Shea scored her first of the game in the 68th minute, when she intercepted an Engineer clearing attempt and fired a shot under the crossbar from the corner of the penalty box.
 
After nearly 20 minutes of play in which Union held a majority of the possession, RPI looked to be in position to steal a win when Bryanna Swinson headed home a cross from Julia Pelletier with 4:07 on the clock. But O'Shea came to the rescue again with a header of her own, when she took a service by senior Emma Schleimer and headed the ball off Kessler's fingertips and in for her fifth goal of the season.
 
The goal was the culmination of a second-half that saw Union control the ball for much of the frame and double up RPI in shots, 10-5. Neither team could break through in the overtime period, however, as the teams settled for the tie.
 
Union finished the match with an 18-15 edge in shots but a commanding 12-3 edge in corner kicks. Mitty made five saves for Union while Kessler stopped six shots for RPI.
 
Union will continue Liberty League play on Friday with a 4 p.m. match at perennial power William Smith College,