Facing a two-goal deficit against Miss Porter’s School with less than one minute remaining in the second half, there was no quit in the Greenwich Academy soccer team.

Playing strong against formidable Miss Porter’s until the final second, Greenwich Academy staged a comeback that will certainly provide it with a lot of momentum going forward.

Goals from Ali Jaquiery and Lauren Harteveldt in the final 30 seconds of action enabled GA to forge a 2-2 draw against visiting NEPSAC foe Miss Porter’s on Saturday afternoon.

“Our team showed huge heart to the end,” GA coach Alistair Lonsdale said. “One thing they always have is heart and they always come through over the odds. They went down early and were in trouble against a very good team and they regrouped, found a good shape to play against and hung in there.”

Jaquiery, a senior, cut Miss Porter’s lead to 2-1 with 30 seconds left to play in the game. Junior Ellie Burdick drew GA’s free kick by making a strong run down the line. Jaquiery took the free kick and deposited it into the back of the net, making it 2-1.

Scramble for the ball in the final seconds, Greenwich Academy gained possession and Harteveldt, a senior co-captain, booted a high arcing shot over the goalkeeper’s head at the edge of the 18, tying the score with just three seconds remaining. Harteveldt’s goal rescued the Gators from defeat and provided a huge boost to the team.

“The team was ecstatic, they went crazy and this might be a turning point in the season for us,” Lonsdale said.

Miss Porter’s School from Farmington took a 1-0 advantage with a goal in the sixth minute, then added a second-half goal to go ahead, 2-0. Este Tejpaul, a freshman, helped keep GA in the game, making several key saves in goal. Senior co-captain Taylor Glanville anchored GA’s stellar defensive effort, while Jaquiery and Harteveldt provided the dramatic goals at the end of the matchup, giving the team a positive result.

“We lost 4-nil against Choate and to bounce back like that is a very good achievement,” Lonsdale said. “It was the GA heart and mentality never-say-die attitude that got us through this game.”

Greenwich Academy visits Hamden Hall Country Day School on Tuesday, then hosts rival Sacred Heart Greenwich on Wednesday in a 3:30 p.m. FAA matchup.