Friday's Women's Soccer Results
Akron 1, Youngstown State 0
AKRON, Ohio - Playing in its third straight overtime contest, the University of Akron women's soccer team posted a 1-0 shutout over Youngstown State on Friday night as senior Karina Atkinson scored the golden goal in the 99th minute to push the Zips to a 1-0 victory.
Akron (4-3-1) set a solid tempo early on in the first half, maintaining a run of possessions in the offensive half that provided multiple opportunities for the Zips. UA took six shots in the half, with four of those saved by the Penguins goalkeeper and a fifth deflected off of the crossbar.
Head coach Vernon Croft, talking about the pace of play throughout the night, commented, "I think we handled the physicality of the game well and we tried to stay within ourselves."
Taking five corner kicks and 12 shots overall in the match, the Zips scored the one that mattered as the match reached overtime, the team's third straight game going beyond regulation.
"I told the kids after the Duquesne game earlier in the year with the double overtime draw that it wasn't going to be the last one," added Croft, "that we were going to see, we'll see more in conference play.
After scoring the game-tying goal at Boston University last Friday and recording an assist and setting up the game-winning goal last Sunday at Bryant, Atkinson took a ball in the 99th minute into the box and dribbled past a Youngstown State (4-4-1) defender, booting the ball beyond the keeper's reach and scoring the sudden death goal unassisted to give Akron its third victory in its last four games.
The Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week this past week, Atkinson saw a big window through the box as teammate sophomore Sarah Sivic pulled wide on the far side, swinging a defender her way and leaving Atkinson with an opportunity. The Zips made formation adjustments entering the overtime period, shifting junior Sydney Blomquist up to a full midfielder role while leaving just three defenders back, helping to allow Atkinson to find space around her lone defender.
"The most satisfying thing to me is that we have a group of players that have really bought into what we're trying to do here in changing the culture and the way we're trying to play," Croft expressed. "They deserve it, they really do."
"This is the third game in a row that we've gone into overtime," Atkinson reflected. "It's good, it's a team effort. Everybody is playing well together and that's why we're so successful."
UA enters conference play next week with a winning record, the first time that has happened in six seasons.
Croft went on, saying that "this is a group of players that are really committed to doing a little bit extra for each other. It's a group that's not about "me" and not about "I," it's truly about each other. I think a lot of the drive there comes from that desire to not let everybody else down as opposed to worrying about how tired they are.
Junior goalkeeper Klaire Adee posted her first shutout of the season in net, the first for the Zips overall through eight games, as she made three saves on the night.
Akron returns to the field next weekend as the team takes on Ohio (Sept. 26) and crosstown rival Kent State (Sept. 28), both on the road.
Buffalo 2, Cornell 3
ITHACA, NY – The University at Buffalo women's Soccer team (4-2-1, 0-0-0 MAC) dropped their final non-conference match of the season on Friday at Cornell by the score of 3-2. Scoring the goals for the Bulls were Julia Benati and Katie Roberts.
"First and foremost I want to congratulate Cornell on their 200th victory as a program," said head coach Shawn Burke. "I wish we would have been more mentally prepared today and given them a better contest. They took advantage of three mental mistakes on our part and scored on all of them."
The Bulls opened up quick as Benati scored the first goal of the contest in the 12th minute of action. Benati took a Celina Carrero feed and buried the opening goal of the contest.
UB dominated the remaining part of the first half as they took the 5-4 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes of action. Making her fifth start of the season, freshman goalkeeper Laura Dougall stood tall in the first half, making two big saves for the Bulls.
The Big Red opened up the second half with the game-tying goal in the 55th minute as Caroline Growney beat Dougall with the assist going to Meera Marhoefer. The goal for Cornell was the first goal Dougall has allowed all season long for UB.
Cornell took advantage of a UB mistake to take the 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute as Elizabeth Crowell took advanatage of the free kick from the far left corner and beat Dougall.
The Bulls showed some fight just moments later as Roberts buried her second goal of the season in the 67th minute to tie the score at two. Roberts took a Kassidy Kidd pass and finished off her team-leading second goal.
"The silver lining tonight was the attacking performance by Kassidy Kidd and Julia Benati."
The Buffalo defense could not hold on down the stretch as the Big Red scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute of play.
For the game, UB held the 14-9 advantage in shots and the 7-4 lead in corner kicks in the loss. In her first career losing effort, Dougall made three saves for the Bulls while her counterpart Kelsey Tierney made five saves.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH (Through six games)
St. Bonaventure – Jackie Hall?
Canisius - Angel Hart?
Duquesne – Sophie Therien
Drexel – Courtney Mann
Niagara – Jackie Hall
#3 Virginia Tech – Ashley Evans and Courtney Mann
Cornell - Julia Benati
The Bulls will return to the pitch next Friday as they open up conference action at Kent State at 4:00 pm. On Sunday they will travel to take on Ohio at 1:00 pm.
Bowling Green 0, Butler 5
Indianapolis, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team surrendered five second half goals to Butler on Friday night, as the Falcons fell on the road to the Bulldogs 5-0 in non-conference play at the Butler Bowl in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The loss drops BGSU to 1-6-0 on the season, while Butler improves to 6-4-0 on the season and remains unbeaten at 5-0-0 at home.
Two small lapses in the second half by the Falcons saw Butler score the first three goals in just over a three minute span early in the second half, while the last two Bulldog goals came within a minute of each other midway through the final frame to allow the home team to pull away with the win.
"Tonight was a sign of our youth and what we learned is that you can't let the flood gates open against a good team. The first goal came from poor possession which resulted in a breakaway and unfortunately we didn't respond well in the following minutes," commented head coach Lindsay Basalyga. "We are very young, having eight or nine freshmen and sophomores on the field at a time, and we are seeing the effects of this youth as it pertains to the mental side of the game. But every game gives us something to learn from and back pocket for the future."
Looking for their second road win of the season, the Falcons ran into a hot Butler team that entered the game on a five-match winning streak and was immediately put on the defense as the Bulldogs rattled off five shots over the first 15 minutes of the contest.
While three of those shots sailed offline, BGSU goalkeeper Lauren Cadel made two saves in goal for the Falcons, the first on a shot by McKenzie Muchow in the sixth minute and the second on a scoring chance from Sophia Maccagnone in the 13th minute, to keep the match scoreless early.
The trend continued for much of the first half, as Butler forced Cadel to make three more stops between the posts over the next 20 minutes and saw another shot blocked by a BGSU defender as the home standing Bulldogs outshot the Falcons 5-0 during that time frame.
However, Cadel would finish the first half out in a big way, as the redshirt-sophomore made four straight stops over a four minute period from the 39th minute to the 43rd minute to help send the game into the halftime break tied at 0-0.
After not registering a shot in the first 45 minutes of play, the Falcons looked to take the lead right out of the halftime intermission as junior Haley Parkinson put a shot on frame just over a minute into the second half which was stopped by Butler's goalkeeper Jayne Heinrich in the 47th minute.
The next three shots of the game would all find the back of the net; however, all three goals would come off the feet of the Butler Bulldogs in just under a three minute span to put the home team on top in a hurry.
Butler's barrage started with a goal from Hannah Farley on a breakaway and a shot into the left side of the net in the 50th minute and was abruptly followed by a second goal from Serina Kashimoto less than three minutes later on a shot from the right side of the box that flew just inside the left post in the 53rd minute.
The Bulldogs' third goal came just 18 seconds later as Elise Kotsakis scored her team leading seventh goal of the season on a shot to the right post off a cross from the right to the left side of the box in the 53rd minute.
BGSU looked to get on the scoreboard in the 61st minute, as redshirt-freshman forward Jennifer Reyes sent a shot wide left of the frame, while redshirt-sophomore midfielder Kara Ross fired off a shot in the 74th minute which went high of the goal.
Yet Butler added another two goals in the 65th and 66th minute from Kathryn Voelker to defeat the Falcons 5-0.
The Falcons were outshot by Butler 27-3 for the match, as 14 of those 27 attempts were on frame for the Bulldogs compared to one shot on goal for BGSU.
Butler also held a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks on the night, while BGSU was whistled for nine fouls compared to just six on the Bulldogs.
Cadel tallied nine saves, the second most on the season for the starting goalkeeper, over 67:16 minutes in goal for the Falcons.
"We've seen everything we can see over the last nine games to prepare us for the MAC mentally, physically and tactically, and I'm confident that this group will continue to press forward and embrace "our" process," continued Basalgya.
The Falcons (1-6-0) will open up MAC play on Friday, Sept. 26, at Ball State. The match is set for a 5 p.m. ET in Muncie, Indiana.
Central Michigan 2, IPFW 0
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Central Michigan notched a season-high 20 shots and Maddy Bunnell posted her second career shutout Friday as the Chippewas defeated Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, 2-0, in a non-league soccer match at the CMU Soccer Complex.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak as the Chippewas improved to 2-5-1 heading into their Mid-American Conference opener on Friday, Sept. 26, at home against Northern Illinois. CMU is 2-0 at home this season.
"I feel very good about where we're going momentum-wise in the MAC," coach Peter McGahey said. "To come out and close out the non- conference schedule with a good team win, lots of people played, created good chances, scored good goals, we leave very pleased today."
The Chippewas' 20 shots eclipsed their previous season-high (11) that came in a 0-0 tie with Detroit three weeks ago.
Bunnell, a sophomore, made two saves. "It feels like an accomplishment as a team," Bunnell said. "My defense definitely stepped up in areas where my distribution got shaky. I think (the win) was a great way to get our team's confidence up."
It was the same story, different chapter, for senior Laura Gosse who had another outstanding night in scoring both CMU goals.
"I feel good, it's always good to get a win going into the conference," said Gosse, who now has a career-high six goals on the season and 19 for her career, tying her for sixth with Amanda Waugh (2006-09) on the school's all-time list.
Gosse's first goal came at the 18-minute, 26-second mark on a cross from Eliza Van de Kerkhove. Gosse rifled it into the low left corner. It was Van de Kerkhove's first assist of the season.
"With my first goal, Eliza had a great assist," Gosse said.
Just over 10 minutes later, Gosse beat IPFW goalie Sam Pavlika to the left corner again. Jennifer Gassman picked up the assist, her second of the year.
"I think she's scoring goals and that builds her confidence," McGahey said of Gosse. "She's really found good form this season."
CMU dominated ball possession, leading to a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks. It was CMU's second-highest corner kick total of the season after the 13 they had against Detroit. IPFW (1-7) finished with seven shots.
Sophomore mid Christen Chiesa had a sharp night, taking charge on the corner kicks and creating in front of the net and feeding her teammates.
Northern Illinois, which provides the opposition for CMU's MAC opener next Friday, is 2-6 and has lost two straight.
The Chippewas will play host to Western Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 27. The Broncos (5-2) fell to Illinois State, 1-0, on Friday. Western Michigan is the defending MAC Tournament champion.
Kent State 1, Oakland 1
KENT, Ohio- The Kent State women's soccer team battled Oakland University to a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Zoeller Field on Friday afternoon. The tie moves Kent State to 4-2-1 on the year, while Oakland now sits at 1-7-1.
"It was a hard-fought battle," said Head Coach Rob Marinaro. "I am proud of the effort the team gave, but we had a lull in play and Oakland capitalized on it. We have to play hard for a full 90 minutes."
The Golden Flashes erased a 1-0 half-time deficit when freshman forward Karli Paracca scored at the 66:15 mark. Paracca settled a deflection in the box and drove a low shot from six yards out past Oakland goalkeeper Stephanie Bukovec.
The goal was Paracca's third of the season as she leads the Golden Flashes in scoring with six points.
After allowing the first-half goal Kent State controlled most of the action in the second half and had the advantage in shots taken and corner kicks earned. The Golden Flashes outshot Oakland 22-13 for the game and 16-7 during the second-half and overtime.
Junior goalkeeper and Stephanie Senn had five saves for the game and the Kent State defense didn't allow a shot in the two sudden death overtime periods.
Each team had a quality chance before the end of regulation. With 15 minutes remaining in regulation, freshman Kristen Brots had a shot from 12-yards out go over the bar.
A minute later, in the 76th minute hard charging Oakland forward Annie Quinoga came down the right side and sent a shot wide left past an outstretched Senn.
Kent State's best chance for the win came in the second overtime period as the Golden Flashes earned back-to-back corner kicks with four minutes remaining. Senior forward Stephanie Haugh set up the first corner for the Flashes.
Haugh flew down the left wing, beat her defender and had a shot deflected into the side netting to set up the first corner. Both corners were cleared out of bounds and neither team had a shot on goal the rest of the way.
Kent State is back in action on Sunday when they host Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. at Zoeller Field.
Miami 2, Marshall 1
OXFORD, Ohio – Kelsey Dinges scored two first-half goals to life the Miami soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Marshall at Miami Soccer Field on Friday.
The victory is the RedHawks’ (5-1) third straight and moves them to 6-3 all-time against the Thundering Herd (3-3-2).
“The first 20 minutes was some of the best soccer we played all year,” head coach Bobby Kramig said. “Things kind of fell apart at times after that. I am happy with the result and we scored two very good goals today. It wasn’t the prettiest game today, but the kids worked hard and were rewarded with the win.”
Miami came out firing during the first half, with Dinges the main catalyst on the attack. The senior won a 50-50 ball just outside the box in the 11th minute and fired a curving shot that bended inside the far post for her third goal of the season, giving the Red and White a 1-0 lead. Dinges struck again in the 27th minute on a nice flowing play from midfield. Haley Walter played the ball ahead to Amy Malone, who fed Dinges cutting up the middle. Her low shot from 20 yards out slipped inside the right post to give the RedHawks a 2-0 advantage.
Miami had the bulk of the shot attempts in the first half of play, owning a 9-4 edge in shots. Both teams had a number of set pieces, with the RedHawks and Thundering Herd attempting five corner kicks apiece. Marshall nearly got on the board late in the first half as a ball found its way to Morgan Mays near the goal box. Her close range shot was lofted high, but Vic Maniaci leaped to make a tremendous save and keep the Red and White on top by a two-goal margin at the half.
Marshall got on the board early in the second half as Kristine Culicerto headed in a crossing feed in the 47th minute to cut Miami’s lead to 2-1. That goal served as a catalyst for the Thundering Herd as it spent much larger portions of the second half in possession and in the attacking third than they did in the first half.
It appeared the RedHawks weathered the storm, but the Thundering Herd got a second wind in the final 10 minutes. With 9:40 left, Berrie Walker lofted a shot over Maniaci that appeared labeled for an equalizing goal, but the MU defense gathered the shot before the goal line and cleared it away to keep the lead intact. Marshall took one more shot the rest of the way, a long range attempt by Berrie that Maniaci smothered to secure the win.
Miami outshot Marshall 17-10 on the afternoon and also enjoyed an 8-6 advantage in corner kicks. Shots were a much more even 8-6 in favor of the Red and White in the second half. In addition to the two goals, Dinges fired a match-high six shots, placing five on net.
“Kelsey is dangerous from 30 yards in,” Kramig said. “She’s one of the best ball strikers in the conference and it was great to see her play the way she did today.”
In her first start of the season, Maniaci finished up with five saves on the six shots that she faced. Marshall’s Lizzie Kish turned away six of the eight shots she faced.
The RedHawks finish the weekend by hosting Illinois State on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. That contest is also senior day as Miami will honor Dinges, Olivia Evans, Hailey Pleshakov, Danielle Wiseman and Courtney Zanotti.
Ohio 0, Dayton 4
Dayton, Ohio - The Ohio University women's soccer team fell 4-0 to Dayton on Friday night at Baujan Field.
Dayton's (3-5-1) Ashley Campbell opened the scoring with a long-distance shot that curled over senior Nicole Amari (Vernon Hills, Ill.) in the 23rd minute.
Campbell netted a hat trick with goals in the 31st and 34th minutes. Her third goal came off of a volley from a corner. She now has seven goals this season.
"There were moments in the game where I thought we had good rhythm," head coach Aaron Rodgers said after the game. "I thought the first 15 minutes we were very good and then they had that loopy, cross goal. We hung our heads after that."
Ohio (3-5-0) had two early chances in the first half and had a goal negated by an offside call in the 39th minute.
Freshman Hannah Jaggers (Taylorsville, Ky.) put a header on goal for the Bobcats' best chance in the 42nd minute off of a corner played in by sophomore Carly Manso (Vernon Hills, Ill.)
For Ohio in the second half, freshman Megan Niebuhr (Cincinnati, Ohio) put a shot high over the bar in the 62nd minute. Senior Gabby Hausfeld (Cincinnati, Ohio) recorded the Bobcats' final shot on goal in the 88th minute.
The Flyers scored their fourth and final goal in the 80th minute as Nicole Waters finished into the back of the net.
"You have to defend as a unit, not just one-on-one," Rodgers said. "We reaffirmed how we needed to defend at halftime and we did a much better job. We will learn from it, this is why we play these games."
Junior Leah Sandercock (Strongsville, Ohio) finished with a team-high two shots for the Bobcats.
Ohio finished with five shots on goal and eight total shots.
Amari finished with five saves.
The Bobcats return home to take on Akron and begin Mid-American Conference play Friday, September 26 at 4 p.m. at Chessa Field. They also host Buffalo on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Western Michigan 0, Illinois State 1
NORMAL, Ill. - The Western Michigan women's soccer team fell to Illinois State, 1-0, on the road on Friday evening.
The two teams battled in an even game, with each team registering 10 shots, but Rachel Tejada netted her sixth goal of the season in the 54th minute and the Redbirds were able to hold on for the win.
"We did some really good things today, but unfortunately came up on the short end," said head coach Nate Norman. "We played a really good team today that we knew if we gavee them a few chances they have enough quality about them that they would finish one. We have to recover quickly and get ready for a good Saint Louis team on Sunday."
Tejada's goal made her the all-time leading scorer in Illinois State history with 60 goals.
The Broncos rattled off nine of their 10 shots in the first half, landing seven on goal. Rachel Chaney and Irene Young each put two shots on frame but were unable to get past ISU goalkeeper Aryn Newsom. Newsom made six saves and the team was credited with another. Junior Kaitlyn Collin made five saves for WMU.
The Broncos host the Billikens on Sunday at 2 p.m. Sunday's game is also Western Michigan's "Friends of Jaclyn" day. The team will be taking donations for the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, which pairs up children and their families who are battling pediatric brain tumors with college and high school sports teams. WMU has adopted FoJ member Sarah Newman onto the 2014 team and asks fans to help raise awareness for Sara and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
