PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – In a match that spanned more than six hours thanks to a lengthy weather delay midway through the first half, the St. John’s women opened the season with a 3-3 draw at La Salle University Friday night.

The Red Storm enjoyed a 2-0 lead in the first half.

The delay lasted three hours and 47 minutes and came 32 minutes into the action.

“This was an exciting, hard-fought game played by two good teams,” Red Storm head coach Ian Stone said. “The type of competitiveness that was evident will serve our team well in the future.”

The Explorers came out shooting against a defensive unit that saw three Johnnies make their debuts as redshirt freshman Jordan Kamp and defenders Christine McBeath and Alexa Dolgos earned the starting nod from Stone. La Salle sent three shots on goal in the game’s first four minutes, all of which were stopped by Kamp.

Later on in the opening half, Samie Scaffidi blocked a La Salle clearance attempt, which led to Shea Connors sending a shot on goal that was stopped. Senior Allie Moar cleaned up the rebound with her left foot, giving the Red Storm a 1-0 advantage in the 22nd minute. The goal was Moar’s first since her Big East All-Rookie season in 2014.

Just over five minutes later, Scaffidi played distributor with a great through ball that found a streaking Chrstina Bellero, who found the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage in the 27th minute.

La Salle turned up the pressure on the attacking end. In the 32nd minute, Madison Bower sent back-to-back shots towards the goal, resulting in a blocked shot and a save, respectively. A foul was called in the box following the second shot, giving Bower a penalty shot that she converted, making it a 2-1 game.

Shortly after the goal, lightning struck in the area and the game was delayed for 3:47.

After the long weather delay with time winding down in the first half, Maria Gonzalez Bullon sent a shot that banged off the post.

Early in the second half, the two teams traded blocked shots before a yellow card was issued to St. John’s, giving La Salle its second penalty kick. Kristin Haugstad converted, tying the game at 2-2 in the 54th minute.

Both sides continued to maintain pressure in the opponent’s offensive end for the next 20 minutes until redshirt freshman Zsani Kajan ripped a shot from 20 yards out that beat the La Salle goalkeeper, giving the Red Storm a 3-2 edge in the 72nd minute.

In the 82nd minute, the Explorers answered with a goal of their own, making it a 3-3 game.

Kamp made seven saves in her first collegiate game, playing all 110 minutes.

The Johnnies return to the pitch on Tuesday when they host Marist in the team’s first home game of the season at 7:30 p.m.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.