The Cornwall Dragons trailed Newburgh Free Academy for most of the second half before finally netting the equalizer late in regulation.

Then it looked like the season-opening non-league girls’ soccer game was going to go the full 100 minutes and end in a tie.

However, the Dragons’ sophomore striker Victoria Weber had other plans, taking a crossing pass from teammate Madeline Larkin and redirecting it into the back of the net, giving her team a 4-3 victory on Wednesday at Kristi Babcock Memorial Park in New Windsor.

“It just shows true character when you’re down a couple of goals, come back to tie it and then get out there and play the way they did,” Cornwall coach Maureen Eltzholtz said. “It speaks to their fitness. It speaks to their commitment to getting ready for the season. Playing a bigger school like NFA just shows that we can really compete this year.”

The Dragons trailed 3-1 in the second half, but the Dragons were on the attack for most of the half. However, it took until about 15 minutes remained in the game for Cornwall to find the back of the net.

A previous shot had deflected off Newburgh goalkeeper Ella Henderson, and freshman Kelly Weber redirected the ball into the goal to cut Newburgh’s lead to 3-2.

Then about 10 minutes later, Victoria Weber scored the first of her two goals, an arcing shot to tie the game at 3-3.

The Dragons were unable to convert in the first 10-minute overtime period and couldn’t find the game-winner despite constant pressure in the second.

Until the 99th minute when Larkin and Weber ended the game.

“(Larkin) is in her second year on the team, and she was up and down that left side all game long and never gave up,” Eltzholtz said. “She runs track, and you can tell, but she never gave up.”

The Dragons were fighting from behind early on, and Newburgh took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Genesis Hernandez and Julia Lopez.

Cornwall junior Emma Walsh got the Dragons on the board with a goal, cutting Newburgh’s lead to 2-1. Lopez’s second goal widened Newburgh’s lead to 3-1.

“They had some big girls who knew how to clear the ball, but our smaller players are very scrappy, talented and have very accurate touch on the ball,” Eltzholtz said. “Once we could settle down and pass to feet, I think that our fitness helped us toward the end because we weren’t gassed.”

The Dragons are a young team with only three seniors: Madelyn Larkin, Samantha Lawney and Alexa Siegel. The rest of the team is made up of juniors, sophomores, a freshman – Kelly Carey – and an eighth grader, Jacqueline Weber.

“It’s my 25th year coaching and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be yere, but I am beyond thrilled to be coaching these girls,” Eltzholtz said. “They’re young, and all of them will be back, other than the three seniors. The future of the program is really great right now.”