Sharks Open Conference Play with 1-1 Draw Against Polk State

The Miami Dade College Sharks women's soccer team kicked off conference action with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Polk State College on Thursday afternoon.

After a scoreless first half, the Sharks broke through in the 50th minute when sophomore Julia Gurgel buried a finish off an assist from Betzael Contreras, giving MDC the early second-half advantage. The Sharks continued to push forward, generating 18 total shots and forcing Polk's goalkeeper into 11 saves.

Despite controlling much of the possession, Miami Dade saw Polk find the equalizer late in the match. In the 87th minute, Polk's Marie Narewski capitalized on a pass from Paula Cortijo to even the score at 1-1.

Goalkeeper Ashley Fonseca kept the Sharks steady defensively, making five saves on six shots faced. MDC's backline held strong against Polk's nine-shot effort, limiting quality chances throughout the match.

The Sharks also showed their physicality in the conference opener, matching Polk's intensity with six fouls and five corner kicks earned. Yellow cards were issued to Camila Martins Viera and Naya Megnin in the second half as the match tightened down the stretch.

With the result, Miami Dade moves to 0-0-1 in conference play and will look to build on the strong performance as the conference schedule continues.