BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- The University of St. Francis women's soccer team came within five minutes of pulling off an upset of NAIA No. 18-ranked Olivet Nazarene University before gaining a 1-1 tie with one of only two remaining unbeatens in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference on Saturday night.

A perfect header shot by Hannah Dela Vega at 85:33 forced the tie, which was the fifth one of the season and the third one in the last four matches for USF.  The Saints are now 1-1-3 in league play and 1-5-5 overall.

Litzy Mendez's goal at 16:47 in the opening half looked as though it would be the difference with USF goalkeeper Krystal Rodriguez stopping a pair of shots on goal in the opening half and another one in the 66th minute.  She would go on to stop another two shots in the closing two minutes to preserve the tie, finishing with five saves on the night.

USF, which went to a defensive plan of attack after scoring the game's first goal, had only two other shot attempts in the first half with one being on goal.  That came in the closing minute of the first half by Hailey Bartlaga.

In the second half, St. Francis had two shots, one of which was blocked and the other one going wide right.

Olivet Nazarene (4-2-3, 3-0-1) totaled 22 shots with six being on goal.  The Tigers maintained their top spot in the conference with the tie.  Trinity Christian College boasts the same 3-0-1 league mark through the first four games of the CCAC season.    

Notes: USF's five ties on the year are the most in a single season in school history … Mendez's goal was her second of the season … The 22 shots attempted by Olivet Nazarene were a season high by a St. Francis opponent this year … The Saints begin a two-game homestand starting on Tuesday night when they host Governors State University at 7 pm.

Links to live coverage can be found at gofightingsaints.com/coverage. You can also keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on Twitter @USFSaints.