Box Score Reading, Pa. - Penn State Abington faced their toughest test of the season Saturday afternoon, on the road at in-state rival Penn State Berks. With the Nittany Lions from Berks sitting atop the conference standings, undefeated in conference play, Abington needed a positive result to maintain pace in the NEAC playoff race. After falling behind early on in the contest, the Lady Lions showed their mettle, coming back late to tie the game and earn a much-needed draw against the top team in the conference.
 
The Berks squad has certainly been one of the biggest surprises in the NEAC so far this season. After a mediocre 9-8-1 season in 2011, the young team has turned it around in 2012. With an incredibly young squad, having no juniors or seniors on the team, the Nittany Lions (11-2-1, 9-0-1 NEAC) lost their first two games of the season before rattling off 11 straight wins.
 
Even with such a young squad, the team is not lacking at all in goal scoring ability. Penn State Berks is putting up almost four goals per game, and they got right back on track this afternoon against Abington. Berks recorded seven shots in the first 30 minutes of play, forcing sophomore goalkeeper Gabrielle Benedict into four saves on those shots. Finally, in the 31^st minute, Berks managed to slip one past Benedict. Freshman Meaghan Daly sent a pass to sophomore midfielder Steph Tanklavage, who worked in the penalty box and managed to get off a shot on goal. The shot was a good one, getting past Benedict and into the left side of the net, giving Berks the 1-0 advantage.
 
From here on out, the Lady Lions of Abington (10-4-1, 7-2-1 NEAC) closed up ranks and shut out Berks for the rest of the game. It wasn't for lack of trying the Berks could not register an insurance goal, either. The Nittany Lions of Berks managed to get a total of 23 shots of in the game, compared to 2 from Penn State Abington. Benedict had a huge afternoon in goal, coming up with a season high 12 saves to keep the game close.
 
Finally, in the 89^th minute, Abington broke through with a thrilling last minute goal to earn the draw. On just the team's second shot of the afternoon, it was junior Alyssa Kaye who came through with a clutch goal, sending a chipped shot over the head of sophomore goalkeeper Savannah Cramer. The ball settled nicely under the crossbar and in the back of the net, sending a huge roar up from the Abington bench.
 
That last second goal was bigger than it may seem, especially in terms of the Lady Lions' playoff hopes. The 7-2-1 conference record translates into 22 points and third place in the NEAC conference standings, one point ahead of Penn State Harrisburg. The next closest teams, Keuka and SUNYIT, both sit at 18 points, more than a game back of Abington. If the Lady Lions can continue their impressive play from most of this season, they will be in great shape when the postseason rolls around. The chase for the playoffs continues for the Lady Lions next Saturday, at home against Harrisburg. It will be the last chance for Abington to get a win over their NEAC rivals, as Harrisburg is moving to the CAC in 2013. Game time on Saturday is set for 12 p.m. Be sure to stay tuned to abingtonsports.com for all your Lady Lions soccer updates.