BALTIMORE – Jourdan Ziff scored twice in the second half, tying the game for Loyola University Maryland women's soccer and sending it to overtime where Towson University scored less than two minutes in to deal the Greyhounds a 3-2 non-conference defeat at Ridley Athletic Complex.
 
The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead with goals in the 18^th and 19^th minutes, an advantage they held into the second half.
 
Ziff put Loyola on the board in the 49^th minute connecting with a header after a long service from Sarah Mirr to get the Greyhounds within one. Mirr cut in from the far sideline and served a ball that bent into the box where Ziff put a head on it to put it over the outstretched hands of Tigers goalkeeper Megan Collins.
 
Loyola (2-4-0 overall) appeared to have tied the score just over two minutes later. Nicole Rivas sent a free kick into the box where Sarah Bayer headed it toward the goal. The ball looked to have bounced over the line before caroming at a sideways angle. McKenzie McCaull cleared it off the line for Towson.
 
Kate Reese then had a header off a Rivas corner kick sail wide left in the 58^th minute before Ziff put no doubt on the equalizing shot.
 
Bayer set up the play with a run to the far corner before turning in and serving it into the box. After the ball was deflected by a Towson defender, Ziff drove it in to knot the game at 2-2 with 28:47 remaining in regulation.
 
The Greyhounds had chances to take the lead late as a Ziff shot went off the post, and other opportunities nearly materialized, but the teams headed to overtime tied.
 
Towson countered early in the overtime period with a Chloe Sherry run down the near sideline. Sherry sent a pass forward that was flicked by Elizabeth Coletti to Jenna Blank who carried it into the box and struck a shot off the hands of Loyola goalkeeper Sumer Rahe. The ball spun just inside the far post to give the Tigers the win.
 
"It was a tough game for the team tonight after we put ourselves in a hole early in the match," said Naomi Meiburger, Loyola's head coach. "Despite that, we responded well in the second half, and I felt we were going to get a third goal. We hit the post and missed narrowly on a couple.
 
"Overtime is always about playing safe when you can and attacking when it is on. Unfortunately, the chips didn't fall our way.
 
"I am glad for Jourdan getting a brace; it was well deserved and two great goals. I thought Sarah Mirr changed the game for us in the midfield. I was glad to have her contributing and getting assists from Sarah Bayer and her. kThankfully in college soccer the next game is right around the corner, and we look to move on now to our final match before conference play."
 
Loyola had an 11-8 shot advantage against the Tigers, and it took six corner kicks without surrendering one to Towson. Ziff's two-goal game was the second of her career; she also had a brace against American University in 2016.
 
The Greyhounds play their final non-conference tune-up before Patriot League action starts when they head to Emmitsburg, Maryland, for a Sunday, September 9, game at Mount St. Mary's University.