VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State sophomore Maria Rojas scored in the 74^th minute for a 1-1 score as the Blazers battled back to tie with Palm Beach Atlantic in the 2025 home-opener Sunday Afternoon at the VSU Soccer Complex.
 
The Blazers (0-0-2) finished with 19 shots and 11 on target, while PBA (1-0-1) finished with 13 shots and eight on frame.  Both netminders made some great saves throughout the match for their teams as PBA keeper Brooke Delzatto had ten saves and Blazer senior keeper Claire Timberlake had seven stops.  
 
Rojas finished with seven shots and five on target and the score to lead the Blazers, while sophomore Jenni McIntosh added three shots and two on frame for VSU.  PBA's goal came in the 60^th minute as Meren Patton scored for the first goal of the contest as she finished with two shots and the goal.  
 
On a very hot day with temperatures in the mid 90's the teams played to a scoreless first half with both having some good looks in the opening stanza, but it was the second half where the intensity really heated up.  
 
Early in the second, PBA's Emily Rinaldi had a good look with a save from Timberlake, before the Blazers had three great opportunities with two saves from Delzatto and one shot from junior Taylor Youmans which sailed just wide of the net.
 
Patton scored her goal at the 59:10 mark, but the Blazers kept pressuring and freshman Jada Narcisse hit one just left of the net at the 69:19 mark, but Rojas came up big with a shot and save at the 71:50 mark and then her goal came at the 73:04 mark for a 1-1 score.  
 
Fueling off the goal from Rojas, the Blazers had five shots over the final 15 minutes with Delzatto on the save for and three missed just wide.  PBA's Madeleine Hulme had a long shot in the 87^th minute but Timberlake was there for the save. 
 
VSU returns to the road as it travels to Georgia College on Thursday at 5 p.m. in Milledgeville, Ga., followed by a trip to Americus, Ga., on Sunday at 6 p.m. versus Georgia Southwestern.  The Blazers return home to host Embry-Riddle on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. at the VSU Soccer Field.  

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