Box Score LAKELAND — Coming off its first loss of the season and trailing for most of the second half, Polk State Soccer showed grit on Thursday. In the Region 8 opener, the Eagles got a late goal to salvage a 1-1 draw with Miami Dade College.

After a scoreless first half, the Sharks drew first blood in the 50th minute. As time ticked away, it appeared that Polk State (3-1-1, 0-0-1 Region 8) was headed for another one-goal loss. 

Marie Narewski had other plans.

Off the feed from Paula Cortijo, Narewski netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season. The equalizer came in the 87th minute and capped the scoring.

Goalkeeper Ashley Miller was stellar in goal. The freshman from Michigan set a career-high with 11 saves in the draw.

"We all know that we could have played better but to come back again from goal down says a lot about the character, maturity and sheer determination of our team," Head Coach Dee Shivraman said. "We finished training early yesterday but we noticed that most of the players were still on the pitch working on things. This, in the end, makes them stakeholders and own what we do on a daily basis. I give 100% credit to every player."

Entering the match, Polk State had lost 12 straight matches against Region 8 Division I competition dating back to 2023. On the 24th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Polk State players honored local first responders.

After a 3-0 start, Polk State will try to get back in the win column on Saturday. The Eagles will host Trinity College of Jacksonville at 2 p.m.