Marine girls tie Waupaca in NEC opener

MARINETTE — North Eastern Conference play began with a bang for the Marinette girls soccer team on Thursday, as the Marines battled Waupaca to a 5-5 tie.

Marinette (0-0-1 NEC, 1-0-1 overall) looked poised to run the Comets off the pitch early after Chloe Seymour and Josie Smerchek both pumped in goals to give the Marines a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the first half.

Waupaca (0-0-1 NEC, 0-2-1 overall) entered Thursday’s matchup having been held scoreless through its first two games, but the Comets were able to reel off three unanswered goals to seize a 3-2 advantage at halftime.

Seymour tacked on another goal for the Marines in the second half while Sierra Schreiner and Kylie Kunick each put the ball in the net, but Waupaca neutralized Marinette’s momentum with a pair of goals of its own, and the two teams settled for a 5-5 deadlock.

Schreiner and Smerchek each tallied two assists.

Serenity Vanpool collected nine saves in-goal for Marinette.

Up nextMarinette: The Marines travel to Antigo (0-0-0) for a non-conference game on Tuesday at 5 p.m.