Sunday’s Women’s Soccer Results
Buffalo 4, Duquesne 0
Kent State 3, Oakland 2
Akron 3, Youngstown State 2
Ohio 3, Cleveland State 1
Central Michigan 1, Eastern Illinois 0
Illinois 1, Toledo 0
Butler 3, Ball State 0
Illinois State 4, Northern Illinois 2
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
Buffalo 4, Duquesne 0
Boxscore
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's soccer team (5-1) scored early and often as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Duquesne on an overcast afternoon at UB Stadium on Sunday. It's the fifth straight win for UB.
The Bulls got on the board in the sixth minute when UB took advantage of a set piece opportunity as Marcy Barberic broke free on the right side and slid a ball across the box into the bottom left corner of the net to give UB a 1-0 lead.
Barberic would continue to do damage later in the half as she took a free kick and buried a ball into the bottom left corner of the net from 25 yards out to put the Bulls up 2-0.
Buffalo would add another goal just three minutes later as Leah Wengender took the ball up the left side and found Gianna Yurchak in front of the net and she drilled a shot inside the left post in stride to give UB a 3-0 lead.
The Dukes had a good scoring opportunity in the 28th minute as Hannah Nguyen took the corner and curled a ball on net but Emily Kelly made a great punch save to knock the ball away and preserve the three-goal lead at the half.
Duquesne came out aggressive to start the second half as they had a pair of good scoring chances in the 51st minute but Kelly made a pair of impressive saves to thwart the attack.
The Bulls would then make the Dukes pay in the 57th minute as Katherine Camper poked the ball away and then fired a shot into the back of the net to give Buffalo a 4-0 lead and that would be all UB would need as rain began to fall late in the game, limiting the scoring chances for both sides.
Kelly finished the game with a season-high five saves in her third straight shutout victory, while Megan Virgin had two stops for Duquesne. Junior Erin Murphy saw just over 10 minutes of action, making a career-high two stops. Barberic was named Player of the Game by the UB coaches for her efforts in the win.
"Pleased with a great 90-minute effort from start to finish," said head coach Shawn Burke. "We were able to get everybody in the game and have no drop off and continue to create chances and that speaks to the depth of this group. Being at home you want to get out to a quick start and I thought we did a great job of putting our stamp on it early and take them out of it early."
Buffalo wraps up non-conference play on Saturday, September 18 as they travel to Storrs, CT for a clash with the UConn Huskies at 1pm.
Kent State 3, Oakland 2
Boxscore
The Kent State women's soccer team took to the field once again on Sunday, defeating Oakland in thrilling fashion, 3-2. This puts Kent's record at 4-2 for the season.
Several Golden Flashes players made significant contributions to the ultimate victorious outcome of this game, but Kent State could not have won without the goal by sophomore midfielder Giulia Giovinazzi. In the 81st minute, Giovinazzi, the native of Whitby, Ontario, came up clutch for the Flashes, breaking the tie by scoring a goal, her first of the season. With less than 10 minutes to go, the Golden Grizzlies were unable to come back with so little time left, and Giovinazzi's goal served as a game-winner for Kent State.
But many key moments led to that storybook ending for the Flashes. It all started with a goal in the 18th minute by senior forward Khyla Porter, which put Kent State ahead, 1-0. Redshirt senior forward Cameron Shedenhelm picked up the assist.
That lead would not stand though, as a goal by Oakland's Ashley Postma right after play began for the second half, assisted by Sami Lopez, knotted the score up at one. The Golden Grizzlies would then take the lead in the 57th minute, when Lopez connected on a penalty kick.
However, Kent State fought its way back and found a way to tie the score at two, when senior defender Tianna Harris grabbed her first goal of the season in the 59th minute. That would be the last of the scoring until Giovinazzi's goal, which made the difference in the game and gave the Flashes the hard-earned road victory.
Kent State took plenty of shots against Oakland, including 10 shots-on-goal. That separated them from the Golden Grizzlies, who only took four shots-on-goal in their own right. Kent State also found itself in Oakland territory more often than Oakland did in theirs, as the Flashes had three more corner kicks than the Golden Grizzlies, 7-4.
But as the regular season continues, head coach Rob Marinaro's bunch still has areas in which it can improve, including in the foul department, of which they received 14 compared to Oakland's nine. Kent State also received two yellow cards in the match, whereas Oakland had none.
The Flashes will have another opportunity to improve in those facets of the game prior to the start of conference play next Sunday, when they take on West Virginia on the road. That game is set to begin at 1 P.M.
Akron 3, Youngstown State 2
Boxscore
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio- The Akron women's soccer team secured its second win of the season as the Zips visited Youngstown State on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Katie Stafford (Gahanna, Ohio) netted two goals to give Akron the 3-2 victory over Youngstown State.
Stafford broke open the scoreless contest after she was awarded a penalty kick and scored in the 42nd minute of the game as she rifled her shot into the right corner of the goal. She completed scoring a brace with her second tally at the 50:02 mark, assisted by freshman Sarah Nguyen (Irwin, Pa.)
"Please with the win today," commented head coach Noreen Herlihy. "We were well in control going ahead 3-0, but then we took our foot off the pedal late in the game. Fatigue may have been a bit of a factor playing our second game in three days, but we can learn from this now and move on to the next game. Bouncing back and winning two straight games shows the character of this team. They never quit."
The Zips pushed the lead to 3-0 as freshman Calli Swisher (Alliance, Ohio) scored her first career goal at the 66:20 mark of an assist from Annabel Thomas (Canonsburg, Pa.).
Youngstown State cut the Zips' lead to 3-1 when Regan LaVigna found the back of the net in the 66th minute of the game. Marcella Sizer capped the scoring affair for the Penguins in the 89th minute.
Akron controlled the bulk of the possession throughout the game which led to a decided 13-7 advantage in the shot column, including 8-6 in shots on goal. Stafford and Swisher collected a game-high three shots
Freshman goalkeeper Penelope Cuirinier (Mionnay, France) registered six saves for the Zips.
Ohio 3, Cleveland State 1
Boxscore
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio (4-2-0) returned to action on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 12), and defeated the Cleveland State Vikings (1-5-1), by a score of 3-1. The win snapped the Bobcats' brief two-game losing streak. Ohio's offensive attack was led by Isabella Ginocchi, Abby Townsend, and Haley Miller, with a goal scored by each of the three Bobcats.
"Very happy with the response from our disappointing loss on Thursday," said head coach Aaron Rodgers. "Abby was back in the lineup and gave us an attacking spark. We defended very well for most of the game and scored three beautiful goals."
The game started quickly for both teams, as Ohio and Cleveland State took multiple shots within the first ten minutes of play. The Bobcats then put the Vikings' defense to the test, as Ohio proceeded to take 12 of the next 13 shots of the match, with Ginocchi's shot in the 39th minute finding the back of the net. The lone goal of the first half was Ginocchi's first in a Bobcats uniform. The first half ended with the score still at 1-0, as Ohio out-shot Cleveland State 14 to 3 and the Bobcats earning three corners compared to the Vikings' two.
Following the break, the Ohio offense got the action started quickly. Townsend, making her return to the Ohio lineup, slotted home her first goal of the 2021 season in the 50th minute. Cleveland State responded less than ten minutes later, as a goal scored in the 59th minute cut the Bobcats' lead in half at 2-1. The final goal of the contest was scored by Miller off a free kick in the 72nd minute, making the score 3-1. It was Miller's first goal of the season.
Sam Wexell continued to be a steady presence in net for the Bobcats, as she logged yet another complete game between the posts while only needing to make three saves. Defender Morgan Collica was the only other Bobcat that played all 90 minutes.
Overall, Ohio out-shot Cleveland State 25 to 10 with 11 shots on goal compared to the Vikings four. Ohio also held an advantage in corner kicks taken, with a total of six while limiting the Vikings to three.
Central Michigan 1, Eastern Illinois 0
Boxscore
CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The Central Michigan soccer team secured its third win in-a-row today, defeating Eastern Illinois, 1-0, to improve to 3-3.
All three of CMU's wins have come by 1-0 scores with one in double overtime, at IUPUI.
"As a back four and a goalkeeper unit, I think we should definitely gain a lot of confidence from shutting three teams out," CMU Coach Jeremy Groves said. "It's hard to go through three games and not give up a goal.
"I feel like there's a little bit of something starting to happen in terms of, whenever you don't give up goals, you put yourself in a really good place to be successful as you move forward with the season."
Gaelle Wells scored the goal with an assist from Jaelyn Dobrowolski just over five minutes into the game. It was Wells' second goal of the season and Dobrowolski's second assist. Both are team highs.
The Chippewas outshot the Panthers, 13-8, including a decided 8-1 edge in shots on goal. CMU had four corner kicks compared to three for Eastern Illinois (2-4-1).
CMU goalkeeper Allison LaPoint posted her third-consecutive shutout. She made one save.
CMU is scheduled to open Mid-American Conference play on Thursday, Sept. 23 at Miami (Ohio).
"The good thing is, we have these 11 days now until we play again," Groves said. "It's going to allow us to do some stuff in terms of finishing and getting around goal, which we've already started doing here the past few days anyway."
Illinois 1, Toledo 0
Boxscore
TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday with a 1-0 setback against Illinois at Paul Hotmer Field. It wasn't until the 78th minute that the lone goal was scored, proving to be the difference.
"I'm proud of our girls," Head Coach TJ Buchholz said. "This was a strong Big Ten team in Illinois and you have to make plays. Credit to Illinois, they capitalized on their opportunity and made a play. We had our chances and we have to put those away. Our defense was awesome. It was definitely a team effort and we received a lot of contributions. At the end of the day, we battled hard but we just have to put one of the shots away. We have to build on this and finish our non-conference schedule strong."
Butler 3, Ball State 0
Boxscore
MUNCIE, Ind. - - It was a tough Sunday afternoon for the Ball State soccer team which suffered a 3-0 setback to Big East power Butler at the Briner Sports Complex.
The Cardinals (2-4-0) entered its final pre-conference contest with a 5-0-1 record in its last six home matches. Unfortunately, BSU could not extend the streak as the Bulldogs (6-1-0) used a dominating first half to secure the victory.
With the wind to its back, Butler opened the scoring with a 7' goal from Abigail Isger which found the lower left of the net after a pass from Amanda Kowalski.
The guests extended its lead to 2-0 in the 25' as another shot, this time by Gretchen Skoglund, found the lower left of the net. Anastasia Savich was credited with the assist on the tally.
Overall, Butler put up 14 shots in the opening 45', including seven on goal.
While the Cardinals were able to limit Butler's opportunities in the second half, holding the Bulldogs to just five shots, a penalty kick goal from Katie Soderstrom in the 56' gave the game its final score.
Ball State was able to generate just one shot in the match, coming courtesy of sophomore midfielder Avery Fenchel in the 36'.
In net for the Cardinals, senior Alex DeRuvo made four saves over the first 75'. Freshman goalkeeper Abby Jenkins also turned aside the lone shot on goal she faced in the final second, playing the last 15' of the match.
The Ball State soccer team will have 11 days to prepare for its next contest, when it opens Mid-American Conference play with a 4 p.m. matchup versus Eastern Michigan back at the Briner Sports Complex.
Illinois State 4, Northern Illinois 2
Boxscore
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team erased a two-goal deficit early in the second half, only to see Illinois State net two more goals to claim a 4-2 victory over the Huskies on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 12) at the NIU Soccer Complex. Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) scored her sixth goal of the season and Kierah Meier (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) tallied her first of the year.
"Credit to Illinois State for continuing to fight back," said NIU head coach Julie Colhoff. "I think we had two good goals, but we became satisfied and celebrated too early, even though all we did was tie the game, and Illinois State continued to fight and won the game because of it."
NIU's (3-4-0) first good chance came on the counter in the 13th minute as the Huskies cleared an Illinois State corner kick and Edith Delgado (Aurora, Ill./East Aurora) sprung Amanda Czerniak (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) going the other way, but Czerniak's shot from 16 yards went just high.
Illinois State (2-6-0) opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Natalie Vaughn-Low scored her first of two goals in the contest. The Redbird forced a turnover and Vaughn-Low collected the ball 30 yards from goal and looked to turn inside a defender before cutting back and making space for a low shot from just outside the 18-yard box that snuck inside the back post to put Illinois State in front.
Five minutes before halftime, the Redbirds nearly doubled their advantage as a free kick from 20 yards by Ashley Santos tailed away from the outstretched hand of NIU goalkeeper Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas/North Texas) but caromed off the crossbar as Illinois State took a one-goal lead into halftime.
The Redbirds doubled their lead just 75 seconds after halftime on Vaughn-Low's second goal of the game. Vaughn-Low received the ball about 25 yards from goal, made a move around a NIU defender to the top of the box and fired a shot back across goal, beating McGill to give Illinois State a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute.
NIU responded with two goals in 45 seconds. First, Hoppe cut the ISU lead in half as she spun a defender in the box and quickly turned with a shot that beat Redbird goalkeeper Daniela Grgas at the near post from about 15 yards. The 52nd minute goal was the 12th for Hoppe in her NIU career.
Less than a minute later, Meier's first goal of the season levelled the contest. The Sycamore, Ill., native cut inside and fired a shot over Grgas, who was a couple of steps off her goal line, and into the side-netting at the back post to pull the Huskies even in the 53rd minute.
Ten minutes later NIU nearly went in front as a shot by Hoppe was blocked, but the rebound fell to Meier inside the six-yard box and her shot came back off the post before it was scrambled away by Illinois State.
In the 68th minute, the Redbirds went back in front on a goal by Indianna Asimus. Logan Ziegler clipped a ball over the NIU defense and into the run of Asimus who finished first time with her left past McGill coming off her line to put Illinois State back in front.
Seven minutes from time, the Redbirds added a fourth. Riley O'Brien kept a ball in play along the NIU goal line and quickly fired a low cross toward the back post where Allison Baker was making a darting run just ahead of a Huskie defender. Baker got to the ball first and fired it into the net to give Illinois State a 4-2 lead and the victory.
McGill made seven saves in the contest for the Huskies, Grgas has four stops in goal for the Redbirds.
NIU will close its non-conference slate next Friday, Sept. 17, when the Huskies travel to South Dakota State. Game time against the Jackrabbits is scheduled for 6 p.m.
