Friday's Women's Soccer Results
Ohio 1, Western Michigan 0
Miami 2, Toledo 0
Ball State 2, Central Michigan 0
Buffalo 3, Bowling Green 1
Kent State 1, Northern Illinois 1
Akron 2, Eastern Michigan 1
Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications
Ohio 1, Western Michigan 0
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, MI - The Ohio women's soccer team opened its weekend with a 1-0 victory over Western Michigan Friday afternoon.
Senior Liz Finley (Mason, Ohio) scored the game-winner for the Bobcats in the 64th minute off of an assist from sophomore Alli Cislo (Crownsville, Md.). The goal was her first of the 2014 season.
“I give our team a ton of credit for finding a way to score,” Head Coach Aaron Rodgers said. “We defended very, very well. We battled, we fought, we finally found a way to win and I couldn’t be more proud of our effort.”
Ohio (5-6-0, 2-1-0 MAC) finished with just three total shots and Finley's goal was the team's only shot on target.
In the 19th minute, senior Annie Beard (Mason, Ohio) connected on a header off of a corner, but her attempt went wide. Ohio's only other shot in the game came in the 46th minute when sophomore Sasha Haverchak (Akron, Ohio) shot wide of the post.
Nicole Amari (Vernon Hills, Ill.) finished with two saves.
“Amari played great and made some really key saves,” Rodgers said. “We defended well in the box and in the second half we tightened it up and tightened the marking up.”
The Bobcats were outshot 9-3 in the game and Western Michigan finished with seven corner kick opportunities to Ohio's three.
The loss was the first conference loss for Western Michigan (8-3-0, 2-1-0 MAC) this season.
Ohio has not lost to the Broncos in six-straight meetings.
The Bobcats are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Northern Illinois. That game will get started at 1 p.m.
Miami 2, Toledo 0
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio – A dominant possession game and goals early in both halves propelled the Miami soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Toledo at Miami Soccer Field on Friday night.
MU’s shutout is its second straight as it moves to 8-2 on the season and 2-1 in Mid-American Conference play with the win.
The RedHawks got on the board in the second minute when Kelsey Dinges got her head on a Shannon Stearns free kick and redirected it past UT keeper Sam Tiongson for her sixth goal of the year. Miami threatened to extend the lead to two when Haley Walter fed Jess Bronke in front on a cross, but her shot rang off the crossbar and stayed out.
“The early goal helped us out a lot,” head coach Bobby Kramig said. “It made Toledo press forward a bit. This was a physical game today, but our kids stayed on task. They stayed focused and did a good job today.”
Miami put up several other quality opportunities in a first half that it outshot Toledo (3-7-1, 0-3 MAC) 12-3. Kat Zalar headed a shot off a corner kick that went just wide in the 22nd minute and Dinges got a shot off in traffic off another corner that went wide of the keeper, but was blocked by a UT defender and cleared. With time winding down, Lauren Kelly gathered a ball at the left side and launched a shot from 40 yards out that Tiongson had to dive to punch wide of the cage. Despite the territorial edge, the RedHawks entered halftime with just the 1-0 lead off Dinges’ strike in the second minute of play.
The Red and White continued to dominate play in the second half and found an insurance goal in the 56th minute. Dinges' corner kick cross was punched out of traffic by Tiongson, but it went right to Stearns, who headed the ball in for her first collegiate goal mere seconds after checking in to the contest.
“Kelsey is having a great year, but we don’t want to be one dimensional,” Kramig said. “Shannon played a very good game today and spreading out our scoring the way we have been leading which will create even more opportunities for everyone else.”
Miami continued to control play in the second half and ended up owning a 6-2 advantage in shots over the final 45 minutes of play. The Redhawks had one more strong chance in the 68th minute when the ball was fed to Amy Malone in the middle, but her shot went just wide of the left post. Defensively, Miami did not allow a shot for the final 24:36.
The RedHawks outshot the Rockets 18-5 overall and held 6-1 edge in corner kicks. Dinges fired six of the Red and White’s 18 shots and netted her fifth game-winning goal this season. Vic Maniaci made her third-straight start and stopped all three shots she faced to record her second solo shutout of the year.
Miami returns to the pitch against Central Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Ball State 2, Central Michigan 0
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State soccer team used a pair of second-half goals to take down Central Michigan, 2-0, in its first Mid-American Conference home game Friday at the Briner Sports Complex.
Jasmine Moses and Madison Oyer scored for the Cardinals, while Brooke Dennis made seven saves and posted the Cardinals’ fifth shutout of the season on a breezy evening.
Ball State improved to 6-2-2 (2-1 MAC), while Central Michigan dropped to 2-8-1 (0-3 MAC). The Cardinals will be home again Sunday to host Toledo at 2 p.m.
Friday's game was scoreless at the half despite Ball State holding a 13-3 advantage in shot attempts with the wind at its back. Central Michigan flipped the script early in the second half with several threatening chances, all of which Dennis managed to turn away.
“I felt the wind was a big factor in this game,” Ball State coach Craig Roberts said. “I think it was a factor in allowing us to dominate the first half. Then they had the wind with them in the second half. We had to adjust our system because they were breaking us down a little bit, but we made some corrections and were able to get out and create opportunities and convert.”
The highlight save of the night came at the 57:07 mark when Dennis dove fully outstretched to deflect a shot from Central Michigan’s Laura Gosse that was headed for the right side of the net.
“Brooke had a tremendous game,” Roberts said. “She did exceptionally well. She continued to get her positioning right and commanded the box. She had an exemplary performance all the way through.”
Ball State finally broke through shortly thereafter with a well-organized attack from the left side of the box in the 60th minute. Oyer worked around a defender and sent a pass toward the top to Jenna Finke who delivered a cross toward the far post and Moses.
Moses was one-one-one with the keeper and scored for the second game in a row. It was the 12th career goal for the senior, who ranks seventh in school history.
Oyer then scored a goal of her own, adding some insurance in the 78th minute when she gathered a deflected free kick from Cailey Starck and scored for a two-goal advantage. It was Oyer’s third goal of the season, tying her with Gabby Veldman for the team lead.
Central Michigan managed to get a couple shots off in the closing minutes, but the Cardinals kept the Chippewas off the scoreboard to preserve the shutout.
Ball State bounced back from a Sunday loss at Eastern Michigan that snapped its five-game unbeaten streak. Friday's win marked the second straight over Central Michigan for Ball State, which defeated the Chippewas on the road in the quarterfinals of last year’s MAC Tournament.
Buffalo 3, Bowling Green 1
Box Score
BUFFALO, NY - Behind a pair of second half goals off the foot of leading scorer Katie Roberts, the University at Buffalo women's soccer team claimed their third straight conference victory, defeating Bowling Green on Friday night at UB Stadium by the score of 3-1. The win gives UB an overall record of 7-2-1 on the season and moves them to 3-0-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since the 1999 campaign.
"Bowling Green gave us some fits, especially in the first half," said head coach Shawn Burke. "We have to give them all the credit in the world but I am very pleased with how the girls responded in the second half. We had a total team effort, including the subs that came in didn't miss a beat and really worked hard for a solid 3-1 victory tonight."
Roberts finished off her impressive night with two goals and five shots for the Bulls. She has now scored five goals in four games and has recorded three straight game-winning goals for UB. The Bulls are now 4-1 in games that Roberts finds the back of the net.
The Bulls opened up the scoring early on in the opening half as Kassidy Kidd took a nice feed from freshman Julia Benati and beat the goalkeeper with a perfectly placed shot in the lower left corner of the net. The tally for Kidd was her first on the season.
UB continued to put on the pressure as Roberts had a pair of beautiful chances to extend the Buffalo lead to two. Her first chance came in the 12th minute as she was all-alone with the goalkeeper but her shot was deflected just wide of the net. Five minutes later she had a chance from in close but the keeper was up to the task, pushing the shot wide of the net once again.
Freshman goalkeeper Laura Dougall made her best save of the night in the 27th minute as she smotherd a low shot off the foot of Skylar Fleak to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard.
After some back-and-forth play over the next 25 minutes, the Falcons finally pushed through with their first goal of the game in the 43rd minute. Skylar Fleak took a feed from Leah Runkle and her shot just trickled through the outstretched arms of Dougall and just over the goal line to tie the game at one.
Following halftime, the Bulls returned to the field with a little more energy as they jumped back out to the 2-1 lead in the 52nd minute. Roberts was able to get behind the Falcons defense and a perfect lead pass from Benati allowed her to be in all-alone and she didn't miss her chance, burying her fifth goal of the season in the lower right corner. The goal for Roberts gave her four goals in four games for the Bulls.
Captain Courtney Mann almost notched her first goal of the season in the 68th minute of action but her blast went just over top of the Bowling Green goal. However, two minutes later, Roberts picked up her teammate with the game-sealing goal as she took a great pass from Dana Lytle and beat the goalkeeper to the lower left corner for her second of the contest.
UB continued to pour on the pressure down the stretch as Kidd almost got her second marker of the night in the 76th minute as she took a rocket of a shot that rang off the cross bar and out of play. Kidd finished off her best game of the season with a season-high four shots for UB.
Benati finished off her night with her first career multi-assist game for the Bulls while Lytle picked up her first career assist in the Bulls third straight win. The defensive backline of Jackie Hall, Sophie Therien, Kristin Markiewicz and Angel Hart continued their stingy play, allowing only one second half shot to the Falcons and only two shots on goal for the game. The Bulls defense has now held its opponents to five shots or less in six contests this season.
Seeing extensive action in the second half, Rachel Cook, Megan Abman, Alex Lambert, Ashley Evans and Andrea Niper all played well for the Bulls in the victory. Cook looked dangerous all night long with the ball and Niper led all bench players with three shots on the night.
For the game, UB outshot the Falcons 26-7 including 16-1 in the second half. The Bulls also held the dominant 9-2 advantage in corner kicks for the game. Dougall finished off her quiet night with two saves in the victory while her counterpart Lauren Cadell made eight saves in the losing effort.
Following the match, Kidd was awarded the "Player of the Match" award by the UB coaching staff after a great game offensively for the Bulls. Kidd netted her first goal of the season and also hit the cross bar on another dangerous attempt.
When asked about the play of Kidd, head coach Shawn Burke stated, "I can't say enough about the play of Kassidy Kidd. This was hands down her best game so far this season. We have been working with her to get that attacking mentality and she showed it with the early goal and she never stopped until the final whistle."
Kent State 1, Northern Illinois 1
Box Score
DEKALB, Ill. – Kent State and Northern Illinois women's soccer battled to a 1-1 double overtime draw on Friday evening on the NIU Soccer Complex. Sophomore forward Jenna Hellstrom tallied her third goal of the season in the 37th minute to give the Golden Flashes a 1-0 lead before halftime.
Kent State moves to 6-3-2 overall on the year with a 1-1-1 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Northern Illinois is now 4-6-1 and 2-0-1 on the year.
Both squads got off to a slow start and the cold, rain and wind was definitely not helping. Kent State held a narrow 4-3 advantage in shots, while Northern Illinois led 1-0 in corner kicks in the first 45 minutes of play. Just when it seemed the game would be scoreless at the intermission, Hellstrom came up with a goal in the 37th minute to put the Flashes ahead, 1-0.
Hellstrom's goal came after an Alyssa Meier free-kick. Sophomore Abbie Lawson flicked it over to senior Renee Loya for Hellstrom to finish it off.
The second period started out a lot like the first. Both teams had some looks on goal, but neither could find the back of the net. However, Kent State turned the ball over 25 yards out and Northern Illinois was able to capitalize when Haley Cummings nailed one past junior Stephanie Senn to tally her second goal of the season in the 75th minute and even the score at 1-1.
In the first overtime period, the Golden Flashes had a few good chances, but could not come up with the game-winner. In the 99th minute, Kent State had a great opportunity from a free kick, but Amy Annala made a diving save to keep the ball out of the net, and Kristen Brots fired a shot with 28 seconds on the clock but Annala picked up another save.
In the final overtime period, Doni Capehart blasted a shot on goal with just under four minutes to go, but Analla picked up her seventh save of the game. The game would end in a 1-1 time.
The Golden Flashes will now travel to Western Michigan for a 1 p.m. game on Sunday, Oct. 5. Live stats will be provided at wmubroncos.com.
Akron 2, Eastern Michigan 1
Box Score
AKRON — Akron women's soccer picked up its third consecutive home win with a 2-1 victory over Eastern Michigan in Mid-American Conference play on a rainy Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.
The Zips improved to 5-5-1 overall and 1-2 in MAC play, while the Eagles fell to 6-3-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
Akron jumped on the scoreboard first as sophomore midfielder Madison Kaser (Silver Lake, Ohio) converted a pass from sophomore forward Sarah Sivic (Broadview Heights, Ohio) in the 12th minute for her first goal of the season.
Junior goalkeeper Klaire Adee (Rockford, Ill.) made a huge save in the 22nd minute. EMU hit one off the cross bar, feeding Bianca Rossi's kick which Adee stopped, preserving the lead.
EMU had another shot on goal in 44th minute by Molli Krick, saved by Adee. The Zips led at 1-0 at intermission.
"I thought the weather conditions weren't great," UA head coach Vernon Croft said. "But our kids persevered. They had a great commitment to this program."
In the second half, EMU had several chances to score. Angela Vultaggio missed a shot on a wide open goal at the 57th minute. One minute later, Chelsie Oddan booted one over the crossbar.
Akron made it 2-0 on an unassisted goal from senior forward Lani Smith (Solon, Ohio).
EMU was awarded a penalty kick for a hand ball in the box in the 81st minute as Vultaggio scored for the Eagles.
The Zips tried for an insurance goal in the 87th minute as a shot by Smith hit off the left post, followed by a shot by junior forward Sydney Blomquist (Bel Air, Md.) that was saved by EMU goalie Megan McCabe.
"There's a saying in soccer that the greatest equalizer is a rainy day," Croft said. "I think it effected the game in our favor. I thought we attacked well tonight. It's a great springboard for Sunday."
Overall, EMU out-shot Akron, 23-12 overall and 9-4 in shots on goal. The Eagles had two corner kicks, while the Zips had one.
Adee recorded eight saves in 90 minutes of action.
Mid-American Conference action continues on Sunday, Oct. 5 as Akron hosts Bowling Green at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field at Noon.
