It’s true, history repeats itself.
For the second straight year, the Arizona soccer team played to a draw against No. 16 Texas Tech, as the teams finished in a 2-2 tie on Friday night in Lubbock, Texas.
The match, played in front of 1,328 fans, lasted 90 minutes plus two 10-minute periods of extra time, but neither team could get separation.
The Wildcats twice had a lead, but both times the Red Raiders managed to score an equalizer.
Cali Crisler gave Arizona a 2-1 lead in the 76th minute, scoring her second goal of the season on a volley off a flip-throw from Jaden DeGracie-Bailey.
It marked the 20th career assist for DeGracie-Bailey, putting her all alone atop the school’s all-time leaderboard.
And, with just 14 minutes remaining in regulation, it looked like DeGracie-Bailey’s record-breaking assist was going to lead to a decisive goal, but the Red Raiders had other ideas.
Rebekah O’Brien fired a shot into the top corner of the net, knotting the game at 2-2 with just over a minute and a half left in regulation.
The late equalizer forced extra time, and there, Texas Tech got awfully close to escaping with the victory.
In the second extra time period, Jade King nearly went top shelf, but UA goalkeeper Meredith Reinhardt made a fingertip save to prevent the potential game-winner.
Reinhardt had five saves on the day, including three in the second half. The freshman has been filling in for Arizona’s usual starter, Lainey Burdett, who missed her third straight game due to an illness.
The Wildcats originally took the lead in the 28th minute on a goal from Paige Crouch, her first of the season, and they carried that lead into halftime.
The Red Raiders had better offensive success in the second half, however.
A free kick in the 65th minute landed just outside the six-yard box, and it was eventually knocked in by King to make it a 1-1 game.
Crisler’s goal gave the UA a 2-1 lead soon after, but O’Brien’s late heroics allowed the Red Raiders to salvage a tie.
The Red Raiders scored two goals in the final 35 minutes of regulation.
The Wildcats’ record now sits at 1-1-1 while the Red Raiders are now 2-0-1 on the season.
Arizona returns to action next Friday and Sunday when it will play both Denver and Columbia in Tempe. The two games are part of the annual Sun Devil Desert Classic.
Friday’s game against Denver is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter.