AVE MARIA, Fla. -- The men's soccer program at Shawnee State battled back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to force a draw against nonconference foe Ave Maria Thursday evening, as Marco Riva's 77th minute unassisted goal allowed the Bears to draw with the Gyrenes, 1-1, in a match that was held at Gyrene Field in Ave Maria, Fla.

Despite finding itself in an early hole after a ninth minute goal by Ave Maria's Jael Parraga that put the Gyrenes up 1-0 early on, and three first-half yellow cards for Shawnee State, Stan Rodrigues' group battled back -- posting seven shots in the second half with three on goal to match Ave Maria with 11 shots aside for the match.

Marco Riva, who is a senior captain alongside fellow seniors Nikos Pontikis and Belo Bitencourt, helped apply pressure with two of Shawnee State's three shots on goal in the second half.

After having a 73rd minute shot denied by Ave Maria's Andrija Vujakovic, Riva countered by beating Vujakovic with a finish that tied the score at one apiece with just 13 minutes to play in the match.

Shawnee State got within striking distance to the go-ahead goal late in the going as a foul allowed Théo Cavaleiro Trindade to have an opportunity on the near side of the pitch, but Trindade's attempt was saved by Vujakovic with just under 1:05 to play in the match, and neither team was able to get a shot attempt off in the final attempt as both teams settled for the draw.

In his first start in goal for the Bears, Shawnee State goalkeeper Toby Forsythe stood tall against the Ave Maria frontline, making five saves in his six chances to get his SSU career out to a stout beginning. Forsythe made back-to-back stops in the sixth minute, made another save in the 33rd frame, and nabbed two additional saves in the 83rd and 85th minutes of action.

"Our newcomers really played well and gave us an excellent lift," second-year head coach Stan Rodrigues said. "For their first time in a countable game, they showcased a great deal of poise. I'm proud of the way that our entire team fought. Even though we started flat, we should've won the match. We'll regroup and get back after it against Warner on Saturday."