CALIFORNIA (Sept. 3) – The Vulcans opened the season in unique fashion on Thursday evening with a 1-1 tie against Shippensburg in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play, as the game was called with over eight minutes left in regulation due to ongoing lightning at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility.

The teams were cleared from the field during pregame warmups due to severe lightning and the game was forced to start 45 minutes late. With just 8:19 remaining in regulation, the teams again cleared the field due to lightning and toward the end of the 30-minute waiting period another lightning strike forced the game to be called due to the maximum time rule of three hours per contest.

The Vulcans managed three corner kicks in less than two minutes during the closing minutes of the first period before junior Kara Novotny (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) scored on a breakaway goal with an assist from sophomore Riann Grant (Scarborough, Ontario/Birchmount Park) with only 22 seconds remaining before halftime.

Shippensburg countered early in the second period when junior Ashley Weaver scored an unassisted goal at the 46:19-mark after getting a loose ball following a collision between junior goalkeeper Meghan Jayes (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) and a Raider player.

The Vulcans held a slim 11-10 shot advantage, while the Raiders finished with a 13-9 edge in corner kicks. Jayes, who has started the season-opener each year of her career, finished the game with five saves while playing 81-plus minutes.

Cal U continues PSAC action on Saturday, Sept. 5, when it travels to face Mansfield at 1:30 p.m.