Sunday's Women Soccer Results
Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications
Eastern Michigan 4, Illinois Chicago 2
CHICAGO, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – Two weeks away from action did not affect the Eastern Michigan University soccer team in a negative way as the Eagles wrapped up the non-conference season with a 4-2 victory over the University of Illinois-Chicago Sunday afternoon, Sept. 21, at Flames Field. Instead of coming out flat due to the extended break between contests, EMU (4-2-1) started out on fire by recording three goals over a five-minute span in the first half to build a three-score lead before finishing the game with a two-goal advantage over the Flames (1-8-0).
Four different Eagles scored goals as Eastern doubled its highest mark of the season. Moreover, three Eagles tallied the first goals of their respective careers. Hallee Kansman, Molli Krick and Ellie Tillar all found the back of the net for the first time in a Green and White uniform, while senior Emily Dzik chalked up her second goal of the season. Krick provided the assist on Dzik's goal to cap off a career day for the EMU senior midfielder with three points. Madison Hirsch, Marisa Kozikowski and Bianca Rossi also added assists for Eastern Michigan.
Playing in her home state for the first time in her collegiate career, goalkeeper Megan McCab (4-1-1) made three saves throughout the 90 minutes of action. UIC freshman Annie DiCanio (0-1-0) matched McCabe with three saves of her own but allowed four goals in her first complete game between the posts. EMU held the advantage in shots over UIC, 15-11, including 7-5 in terms of shots landing on target. Emily Wauer and Jasmin Carrerra both scored for the Flames.
UIC began the game on the attack with two corner kicks in the first three minutes of the match. The Flames' first three shots missed, including one nabbed by McCabe, but the home team struck first in the 18th minute. Dribbling in from the right side of the box, Haley Kittle found Wauer for the strike past McCabe and the early one-goal lead.
Trailing by one and not being able to find the goal through the first 30 minutes, the Eastern attack sparked to life with three goals in five minutes. The equalizer occurred first in the 32nd minute as Rossi pushed the ball up the field to Krick. At the top of the box, the redshirt-sophomore did the rest, blasting an 18-yarder right by the outstretched UIC keeper to knot the contest at one goal apiece. The tie didn't last long with the Eagles flipping the script two minutes later. Tillar took a pass from Kozikowski and saw the opening in the right side of the net for EMU's second goal of the game as well as first of her EMU career.
Sensing the tide turning, EMU seized momentum and continued the attack. After scoring a goal just five minutes earlier, Krick decided to give her teammate an opportunity to do the same. Receiving a cross from the left portion of the box, Dzik directed the ball into the net, and just like that the Eagles found themselves ahead by two, 3-1. The Green and White would take that lead into the break following 45 minutes of play.
Aside from two earlier corner kicks, the EMU defense prevented UIC from earning any set pieces for the remainder of the first half. Along with holding the lead on the scoreboard, Eastern also out-shot the Flames by an 8-5 margin. Each goalkeeper made one save, while three fouls were called on each squad in the opening stanza.
Starting the second half, the Eagles maintained possession of the ball and did not allow a single UIC shot for 18 minutes. After two attempts missed, the third proved to be a charm for the Flames. In the 77th minute, Carrerra made it a one-goal game, taking a pass from Wright on the left side. Cutting the Eastern lead in half, the Flames tried to tie the contest once again, but McCabe stopped the shot from crossing the line.
With less than nine minutes remaining, Kansman provided Head Coach Scott Hall and the Eagles a little comfort with an insurance goal. Hirsch started the attack with a shot that missed high before the Eagles eventually earned a corner kick. As the sophomore took the corner, she found Kansman in the box. Coming in for the set piece, the defender used her head to score the first goal of her career and double EMU's lead as the clock continued to run down. For the rest of the game, the Eagles kept the ball on their side of the field to ensure their second-consecutive road victory.
With the non-conference slate completed, the Eagles will begin life in the Mid-American Conference next week. The Green and White will kick off MAC play with a unique weekend that features one game on the road and another at home. The start of the conference slate won't be east as Eastern faces two teams that made the MAC Tournament semifinals in 2013. First, the Eagles soar into Miami for a battle of the birds, facing the RedHawks on Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. Following the MAC opener, EMU returns home for the first time in 35 days, playing host to the Ball State Cardinals. The Sunday afternoon contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., Sept. 28.
Kent State 3, Eastern Kentucky 0
KENT , Ohio- The Kent State women's soccer teamed rolled to a 3-0 home victory over Eastern Kentucky at Zoeller Field on Sunday afternoon. Jenna Hellstrom scored her first two goals of the year and had an assist, while Calli Rinicella also scored as the Golden Flashes put in a dominating effort.
With the win, Kent State improved to 5-2-1 and Eastern Kentucky dropped to 2-7-0. The Golden Flashes scored all three goals in the first-half and peppered the Colonel defense with 24 total shots. Kent State put in a stout defensive effort and only allowed five shots. Flashes goalkeeper Stephanie Senn had three saves in the victory.
Hellstrom got things started for the Flashes in the 17th minute when she took possession from a Colonel defender 25-yards in front of goal. Hellstrom dribbled left into the 18-yard box and then fired a low shot past Eastern Kentucky goalkeeper Anna Hall.
Then at the 28:18 mark, Hellstrom stuck again. On her second goal of the day Hellstrom came down the left wing, beat her defender, received a pass from Brittany Maisano and put one into the right corner.
Rinicella capped off the scoring for Kent State in the 35th minute. Rinicella, was in the center of 18-yard box and drove home a nice cross from Hellstrom on the left side into the back of the net.
The Flashes continued their barrage on Eastern Kentucky in the second-half and enjoyed a 12-1 advantage to shots in the second-half. Their best chance for another goal came with 16 minutes remaining as Madison Helterbran had a shot go just over the crossbar.
Kent State returns to action on Friday, September 26 at 4 p.m. at home against Buffalo to open Mid-American Conference play.
Miami 3, Illinois State 2
OXFORD, Ohio – Scoring big goals is becoming old hat for Kelsey Dinges.
Dinges’ goal in the 62nd minute snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted the Miami soccer team to a 3-2 victory over Illinois State at Miami Soccer Field on Sunday afternoon. That win capped the Senior Day festivities where Dinges, Olivia Evans, Hailey Pleshakov, Danielle Wiseman and Courtney Zanotti were honored before kickoff.
“What a great way to honor our senior class with a win like this against a quality opponent,” head coach Bobby Kramig said. “It’s hard to be a division I athlete in any sport for one year. The fact that they h ave done it for four and produce like they have says great things about them, their commitment and their willingness to work hard.”
The win is Miami’s (6-1) fourth-straight and Dinges has netted the game-winning goal in each victory during that stretch.
The Redbirds (6-4) got the first good opportunity of the afternoon when Rachel Tejada was fed coming up the left side. Her shot was stopped by a leaping Wiseman, who then recovered to turn away Dagny Olson’s rebound at the other side to keep it scoreless early on.
Miami got on the board in the eighth minute after Maggie Scott forced a turnover near midfield and played Rachel Marble into the attacking box. Marble won a footrace to the ball at the right side, moved into the middle and buried her first goal of the season to put the Red and White ahead 1-0.
Play bogged down at midfield for the next 20 minutes as neither team could create much speed on the attack. The Redbirds nearly tied it up in the 23rd minute, however, when Tejada’s blast from 40 yards out dipped down and rang off the crossbar. The ball stayed in play, but MU was able to clear and prevent any damage.
Miami added to its lead in the 33rd minute when Maggie Scott scored her first goal of the season when she moved down the right side after being played in by Jenna Weiner. That tally gave the RedHawks a 2-0 lead entering the break. Miami held a slight 5-4 edge in shots in the first 45 minutes.
The Redbirds came back with a flurry to start the second half. In the 52nd minute, Tejada took advantage of a feed by Ali Farkos that deflected off a defender and right to her at the left side. She beat Wiseman to the far post for her seventh goal of the season, cutting the RedHawks’ lead to 2-1. ISU evened the score 5:25 later when Hannah Leinert drove wide on a defender down the goal line at the left wing before slipping a shot inside the near post to even the score with 34:04 remaining.
With Illinois State surging, Miami quelled the momentum in the 62nd minute when Kelsey Dinges launched an absolute cannon from 25 yards out at the left wing. Her shot caught the upper 90 of the right post and slipped in to put the Red and White back on top by a 3-2 margin.
“Kelsey Dinges scored three high quality goals this weekend,” Kramig said. “To take the injury she did on Friday and come back here with a performance like this today speaks volumes of her as a player and an individual.”
As is expected of a three-time defending conference champion, Illinois State would not go quietly. With under 17 minutes remaining, a deflected ball found its way to Tejada from 15 yards out at the right side. The NCAA’s active career scoring leader wound up for a blast, but Zanotti sacrificed her body by leaping across and blocking the shot to force it out of bounds. On the ensuing corner kick, Brooke Ksiazek got her head on the feed and flicked a shot that went just over the net, keeping MU’s lead intact. The Redbirds threatened once more when Leinert got free for a low shot in the 86th minute. After an initial save by Wiseman, the ball went past the Miami keeper and sat near the goal line, but the RedHawks recovered to clear it away and preserve the win.
“We saw two pretty good teams that were committed to going forward and playing good soccer today,” Kramig said. “It was a well-played, entertaining game. Illinois State is a fine team, but our kids held in there when it got tough in the first half. We got the lead back and finished very professionally.”
Statistics could not have been much more even on the afternoon as both teams attempted 13 shots, placing five on target. ISU took seven corner kicks while MU had four attempts from the corner. Wiseman picked up her fifth win this season by stopping three of the five shots she faced.
Miami begins Mid-American Conference play against Eastern Michigan on Friday. Opening kickoff at Miami Soccer Field is at 4 p.m.
Toledo 0, Dayton 2
TOLEDO, OH – Toledo wrapped up its non-conference schedule on Sunday afternoon with a 2-0 loss at Dayton. The Rockets are now 3-4-1 on the season and will open Mid-American Conference play with a match against Western Michigan at Scott Park on Friday.
The Flyers held a 27-9 shot advantage, including a 15-4 edge with shots on goal. UT managed just one corner kick while Dayton totaled seven, including five in the second half.
Toledo junior goalkeeper Sam Tiongson tallied a season high 13 saves and actually led the team with four shots on goal. Freshman forward Sophie Pohl and sophomore Kiersten Johnson each tallied a pair of shots as well.
The Flyers wasted little time as freshman Alexis Kiehl tallied her second goal of the season just 17 seconds into the match. Kiehl took the opening kickoff through the UT defense and chipped it just over keeper then hurdled Tiongson to tap it in to the open net.
The Rockets best chance for an equalizer came off the foot of Johnson in the 35th minute. Johnson found enough space from 20-yards out but her shot sailed high and just over the crossbar.
Dayton extended its lead in the 75th minute as Tiongson deflected a cross from the end line but the ball dropped to the foot of Flyers midfielder Erin O’Malley right in front of the net and she rolled into the corner for the goal.
Toledo will look to bounce back this week and open MAC play with a victory over the Broncos. Kickoff on Friday is slated to 4 p.m.
Western Michigan 2, Saint Louis 0
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan women's soccer team improved to 6-2-0 on the season and earned its fourth home shutout after defeating Saint Louis, 2-0, at the WMU Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The Broncos picked up goals by Aubrey Sudomier and Gina Maddi with Stephanie Heber making four saves to earn her fourth win of the season.
WMU struck first in the 21st minute to take a 1-0 lead. Kylie Nylen found Heather Piccariello on the right flank and the senior outside back crossed it into the box from 30 yards out. Aubrey Sudomier got a leg on it and it got past the SLU goalkeeper for her first goal of the season.
Saint Louis opened up the second half pressuring Western Michigan. The Billikens fired off three shots in the opening 10 minutes and also threatened with a corner kick. WMU was able to absorb the pressure and countered with a goal in the 67th minute.
After a Bronco corner kick a SLU defender attempted to clear but the ball bounced to junior defender Gina Maddi and the Naperville, Ill., sent a rocket into the corner of the net for her first goal of the season.
With a 2-0 lead the Broncos were able to handle the pressure to secure their sixth shutout of the season.
WMU opens up Mid-American Conference play heading to Toledo on Friday and at Central Michigan on Sunday.
