NIAGARA UNIV., NY - The Niagara Purple Eagles played Akron to a scoreless draw on Friday night.

Niagara (0-1-1) played stout defense throughout the contest and did not allow the Zips to record a shot on goal for the entire 110 minutes of play. The Purple Eagles had quality chances, but could not sneak one past Akron's goalkeeper Annabelle Hegeman as she made four saves in the game.

"We didn't allow them to really get any good opportunities to score, so I thought we played pretty well defensively," said Niagara coach Peter Veltri. "Offensively, I think we created a few good chances, but we still need to tighten up a few things. Overall, it was a good team effort."

NU nearly went ahead just before halftime, when Laura Ortiz took a cross from Hayley Besaw and put her shot just high of the crossbar in the 40th minute. Niagara's first shot on goal came in the 56th minute as Eva Bachmann went for the lower-right corner of the net, but Hegeman made a diving stop to preserve the scoreless game.

The Purple Eagles attempted to avoid overtime and win it in regulation when Haillie Price blasted a shot on net in the 88th minute.

In the first overtime, Niagara's best chance for victory came in the final minute of the period, as Besaw perfectly placed her cross on the head of Bachmann, but the attempt went wide.

"We had a lot of people that played some minutes tonight as we are trying to slowly get everyone acclimated and ready to play," Veltri said. "I think tonight was a good stepping stone for a lot of the girls."

Niagara is back on the pitch on Sunday, Aug. 30 when the Purple Eagles head to Robert Morris at 3 p.m.

Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for women's soccer updates at @NiagaraWSO. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.