INDIANAPOLIS - For the third straight game, the IUPUI women's soccer team left the field after 110 minutes with a 1-1 tie. On Friday night, Southern Utah was the opponent as the Jags got a second half goal to remain undefeated in Mid-Continent Conference play.

IUPUI's four ties this season are already a school record, as the program had just seven ties in its first eight seasons combined. 

"It's frustrating, but one of our big things is that we've never lost in overtime," IUPUI senior Stacy Downing said. "We just go out with the mentality that we can't lose. We're struggling putting goals in the back of the net, but I'll take a tie over a loss any day."

Downing set up sophomore Emily Hicks on the game tying goal in the 52nd minute, thanks to some advice from head coach Chris Johnson at halftime. Johnson told his players to look to the middle of the field and play an occasional through ball, rather than constantly playing to the corners.

Downing heeded the advice, sending a long pass to Hicks in stride. Hicks then laced a shot to the upper right corner of the net, tying her with Angie Pilat with a team-best four goals. 

Less than three minutes later, Downing's through ball almost resulted in a second score for the Jags. The Central Michigan-transfer sent a ball in front of the speedy Pilat, who converged on the ball at the same time as Southern Utah (4-6-2, 2-0-2 Mid-Con) goalkeeper Holly Davis. 

Davis, challenging well outside of the 18-yard box, ripped the ball off the sprinting Pilat, sending it flying just left of the post. IUPUI (5-4-4, 1-0-2 Mid-Con) continued to push the pace before a furious late flurry almost saw the Thunderbirds slip one in during regulation. The T-Birds Shaley Ipson got IUPUI goalkeeper Jamie Farrell out of position and rocketed a shot, headed for the lower left-hand corner of the net with just over a minute remaining.

Farrell, the reigning Mid-Con Female Student-Athlete of the Month, made a sliding kick save at the post to send the match to overtime. IUPUI put three shots on net in the two overtime periods, but Davis finished with four saves to get the tie. Farrell also made four stops in 110 minutes work. 

Southern Utah jumped out to an early 1-0 lead just 2:49 into the match when Brooklyn Phillips chipped a shot over Farrell from just over 20 yards out.

"We didn't come out with as much energy as we needed to," Johnson said. "They were energetic the whole first half - they were on top of us. We just can't come out flat in a conference game."

Southern Utah took the game's first five shots before Downing ripped IUPUI's first try just wide of the net in the 28th minute. SUU had a 8-2 shot advantage in the first half and used their physical play to dictate the opening 45 minutes. Pilat finished with a game-high five shots, while Catherine Johnson and Dani Lavigne tried three each, but it was the foul count that was lopsided. 

Southern Utah was whistled for 23 fouls to IUPUI's 12 infractions. 

"I like a good, physical game and I like that the referee let us play a little bit," Downing said. "But it's hard - it beats up your body and it's certainly a lot more tiring. We knew they were going to be like that, so you have to gear up and tough it out."

The tie kept IUPUI in the hunt for a spot in the Mid-Con Tournament. Midway through the conference season, the Jags sit third in the standings with a two-point edge over fourth place Oakland (4-9-0, 1-1-0 Mid-Con).

IUPUI returns to action on Sunday when they trek to Fort Wayne to face future Mid-Con member IPFW (3-7-0). Game time is 1:00 p.m..

"I think we're going to have to rest some kids again on Sunday," Johnson said. "You don't want to take a game off, but there are some kids who are going to have to step up in Sunday's game like they did in Tuesday's game against Butler."