COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (August 28, 2025) - Second verse, same as the first.

Two years after a Grace Eatz strike from outside the box pulled ETSU level with Tennessee Tech for a 1-1 draw in Cookeville, Ava Duffey's 34th minute strike from outside the box pulled ETSU level with Tennessee Tech and proved to be the final scoring play in a 1-1 draw in Cookeville on Thursday.

The Buccaneers (1-2-2) peppered Tech goalkeeper Maggie Conrad early, but the Golden Eagles (0-4-1) struck for the first time in 2025 when Ebba Melin launched a forceful header over the line and into the side netting off a long free kick from Claire Palya in the 22nd minute.

The Bucs answered 12 minutes later when Duffey was given time and space by the defense and uncorked a curling right-footed strike 20 yards from goal that found a perfect spot just under the bar and just beyond the reach of Conrad. It was Duffey's first collegiate goal, and it sent the game into halftime with the teams on level terms.

Despite a number of shots from outside the box, true threats for either team remained elusive in the second half. Ella Parker created problems in the 67th with a bruising run through multiple defenders and kept the ball alive on the end line for a cross that spun sideways and forced Conrad to make a play on the ball. In the 87th minute, the Bucs got decent look when a Ruby Teixeira corner caromed off the leg of Jada Cooper on goal, forcing Conrad to make a lunging save to her right to keep the ball out. Another Teixeira corner in the final seconds found Ainsley Parker in the box, but the freshman couldn't steer the ball on frame in heavy traffic.

ETSU outshot TTU by a whopping 20-2 margin with nine shots on goal to one for the Golden Eagles. Cooper and Reagan Fitzgerald had six shots each, and Fiztgerald had three shots on goal.

The Bucs get a reprieve from their road-heavy nonconference schedule on Sunday with a 1:00pm clash against Longwood on Sunday at Summers-Taylor Stadium.

For more information on ETSU women's soccer, go to ETSUBucs.com.