BOONE, N.C. - In the team's first home Southern Conference games of the season, Appalachian State women's soccer (4-6-1, 0-2-1 SoCon) held firm against a tough team from Furman (7-4-1, 2-0-1 SoCon) as the squads played to a 0-0 draw Friday evening at ASU Soccer Stadium.

"It was great to come out after last weekend's losses and play a game like this," observed coach Sarah Strickland. "Furman is a great team-they're well coached and organized. I was happy to see us turn around and tie the top team in the conference. It was the most exciting scoreless game I've ever seen."

Autumn made its presence known as temperatures dropped rapidly throughout the game and into the early evening. Sustained winds in excess of 20mph and gusts to 30mph made conditions extra brisk and tricky for the players.

Furman nearly got on the scoreboard early, sending its first two shots high and notching six of the first seven shots in the game. Appalachian State picked up five shots in the opening period including its only two shots on goal, and while both offenses were able to get shots off, neither defense allowed good looks.

In the second half, Furman's offensive pressure earned the Paladins six corner kicks, but again the ASU defense shut down the attack. Appalachian keeper Amy Kolowsky earned five saves in regulation and another five in extra time.

ASU had an exciting opportunity in the final minutes of regulation as Sydney Hill fired a shot off the crossbar, narrowly missing a game-winning score. As the second period ended, a light rain began to fall on the field, adding to the frigid late-September conditions.

Furman's best scoring chance came in overtime as Hannah Stanifer headed a crossing pass into the crossbar and recovered the rebound for another strike. Kolowsky successfully handled the second strike and kept the Mountaineers alive in the game.

In the end, Furman built a 26-10 advantage in shots and a 10-3 lead in corner kicks, but it was Kolowsky's 10 saves in net that made the difference, as both teams came away with the scoreless tie.

"I'm proud of Amy [Kolowsky] earning her third shutout," added Strickland. "Nicole Steyl helped create a lot of chances, and our team really stood together."

"We played a great team defense and stuck together as a unit," noted captain Katy Dodd. "Our back line was phenomenal, and Mimi Kleitches was fantastic. We're looking forward to taking on Wofford on Sunday."

The Mountaineers host the Terriers on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. The Apps enter the game just one win short of matching their five victories from last season.