WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carly Oboikovitz picked the ideal time to step up to a pressure-packed situation and get her point across.
Oboikovitz, a 5-foot-9 senior midfielder from LaGrange, Ill., scored a game-tying goal off an assist from junior forward Rachel Van Sluys (Sheboygan, Wis.) at the 34:17 mark as the Carroll University women's soccer team played to a gritty, 1-1 tie after 110 minutes (including a 90-minute regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods) in a fierce, physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin showdown at Schneider Stadium on Saturday evening.
It was the first draw of the season for the scrappy, hard-working Pioneers, who emerged from the marathon double-overtime homecoming battle 1-1-1 in the conference standings and 8-3-1 overall.
On the momentum-shifting shot, Van Sluys quickly worked downfield and delivered a quick outlet pass toward the left side.
Oboikovitz, who established position near the 25-yard line, quickly took possession, planted her left foot and fired a picture-perfect high-lining shot that sailed just within the far post into the upper right corner of the net.
"Lately, I haven't been taking a lot of shots so I just attempted to step up and make the most of the opportunity," said Oboikovitz, who has contributed three goals and two assists this season. "It felt great coming off of my foot and was exciting to see the ball make it into the corner of the goal.
"Even though we tied tonight, it was amazing to be able to score a goal on homecoming and have it come during such a critical time in a big game. It was just the perfect shot, the perfect goal and it came at the perfect time."
"Wheaton is a good team so we came in expecting it to be a tough challenge the entire way. At times, when things didn't go our way, we just focused, played hard and powered through it.  Having never played at home on homecoming, we wanted to compete with pride, defend our turf and take advantage of the opportunity to represent our school on a fine day. We might not have come away with a victory but it was the next best thing. It was special to be a part of the experience."
Junior midfielder Anna Saunders scored an unassisted goal in the 26th minute for Wheaton, 2-0-1 in conference and 5-4-3 overall.
Van Sluys and senior defender Mary Ladd (Darien, Ill.) also contributed a shot for the Pioneers, who 
maintained their aggressiveness despite being outshot by a 14-3 margin - including an 8-1 shot-on-goal advantage.
Sophomore goalkeeper Christina O' Block (Libertyville, Ill.) had seven saves in playing the entire 110 minutes.