Thursday's Women's Soccer Results
Western Michigan 3, Ohio 2
Toledo 1, Kent State 0
Buffalo 1, Central Michigan 0
Miami 2, Akron 1
Bowling Green 0, Eastern Michigan 0
UMass 1, Ball State 0
Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
Western Michigan 3, Ohio 2
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio -- Western Michigan Women's Soccer opened MAC play with a 3-2 victory, coming back from being down 2-0. Kaiya Stewart opened the scoring for the Broncos with her second goal of the season, and Tessa Fagerson notched her team-leading 3rd and 4th goals of the season.
Ohio applied early pressure on the Brown and Gold, forcing Reagan Sulaver to make her first save of the game in the 8th minute. Ohio capitalized on their early energy, scoring their first goal of the game in the 12th minute. Just 3 minutes later Ohio would add another goal, making it 2-0 in the Bobcats favor.
The Broncos showed some energy from there when Mikayla Coore-Pascal broke away from defenders in the 20th minute and found Kaiya Stewart, who sent a shot just wide of the net. WMU would continue showing fight with both Camryn Huhn and Irelyn Sheldon having shots on goal just after. Despite the energy, the game remained 2-0.
Later in the half, Reagan Sulaver made a diving save in the 32nd minute to keep the game within 2 goals. After another save just before the half closed out she finished the half with 6 saves, her highest mark in any half this season.
Once again, the Bobcats came out with energy to begin the half, having a goal that would have put them up 3-0 waved off just 6 minutes in.
From there, the Broncos started climbing back. Just 3 minutes after Ohio had their goal waved off Kaiya Stewart had 2 straight shots, her first deflecting right back to her where she finished the job putting the Broncos within 1.
The Brown and Gold were not done there. A few minutes later, Tessa Fagerson floated one off her left foot right over the head of the Bobcats goalie to tie the game up in the 64th minute. As the half winded down, both teams continued fighting with back and forth chances until a foul in the box against Ohio resulted in a penalty kick for Tessa Fagerson with just 1 minute and 57 seconds on the game clock. Fagerson drilled the shot to the top right of the net giving the Broncos the late lead.
The Broncos completed the comeback after holding strong during the final 2 minutes.
Toledo 1, Kent State 0
Boxscore
TOLEDO, Ohio - Carys Bourbeau scored early in the second half, and Paige Dornheggen made eight saves as Toledo opened Mid-American Conference play with a 1-0 victory over Kent State on Thursday night at Paul Hotmer Field. The win moved Toledo to 5-2-1 overall and 1-0-0 in the MAC, while Kent State fell to 1-5-2 and 0-1-0.
Bourbeau broke a scoreless tie in the 47th minute, scoring an unassisted goal two minutes after halftime. The goal was Bourbeau’s only shot on target and stood as the game-winner. Bourbeau finished with two shots in 84 minutes as Toledo converted one of its four attempts on goal.
Kent State generated the greater share of the attacking pressure, finishing with a 19-8 advantage in shots and a 10-2 edge in corner kicks. Dornheggen stopped Ava Todd’s first shot on goal in the seventh minute and made another save against Maya Justice in the 36th minute to help send the match into halftime scoreless. At the other end, Kent State goalkeeper Leah Shaffer denied Ella Zoerhoff in the 20th minute and finished with three saves.
The Golden Flashes increased their pressure after Bourbeau’s goal, taking 13 shots in the second half and putting five on target. Samantha Miller and Lila Simon each finished with four shots for Kent State. Miller placed two attempts on goal, while Todd also tested Dornheggen twice. Toledo’s defense absorbed that pressure despite Kent State repeatedly earning restarts from the corner.
Dornheggen protected the lead through a series of late chances. The Toledo goalkeeper stopped Todd in the 73rd minute, denied Jules Dolinski in the 85th and turned away Josie Morgan less than two minutes later. Kent State produced one final attempt in the closing seconds, but Dornheggen saved Miller’s shot at 89:30 to complete the shutout.
Buffalo 1, Central Michigan 0
Boxscore
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI – The University at Buffalo women's soccer team (4-2-2) opened Mid-American Conference play with a 1-0 road win at Central Michigan on Thursday night.
Junior midfielder Mae Hunt scored the game-winner in the 72nd minute.
The Bulls were on the attack right away as Laiken Kiser fired a shot in stride in the opening minute and UB was at it again 10 minutes later as Maya Bright and Emma Patti recorded a pair of shot attempts that sailed high.
It was a possession battle for most of the next 20 minutes before the Bulls had one more scoring chance in the 34th minute as Maddy Murphy played a ball on target, but Jadia Kershaw was there for the save, and the game would remain scoreless at the half.
Buffalo broke through in the 72nd minute as they played a ball into the box that initially found the head of Eva Poissant who flicked the ball on to Hunt who one-timed a shot into the back of the net to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead.
Central Michigan had a trio of shot attempts in the final 10 minutes of play, the last of which was saved by Lexie Thompson to secure the UB victory.
The Bulls outshot the Chippewas 11-9 and maintained a 6-2 edge in corner kick opportunities. Thompson earned her fifth clean sheet of the season with two saves on the night while Kershaw also made a pair of saves for CMU.
"We talked all week about the need to step up our intensity and fight going into MAC play," said head coach Shawn Burke. "Tonight they did that and found a way to get three points on the road."
Up next, Buffalo will return home to host Toledo on Sunday, September 20 at 1pm.
Miami 2, Akron 1
Boxscore
OXFORD, Ohio - Averie Bierker scored the deciding goal in the 57th minute as Miami rallied for a 2-1 victory over Akron in the Mid-American Conference women’s soccer opener at Bobby Kramig Field.
Akron struck first just 6:10 into the match. Tewabech Seerup set up Rachel Wenzel, who scored her fourth goal of the season to give the Zips a 1-0 lead. Akron goalkeeper Sara Bower protected that advantage two minutes later by stopping a shot from Kailyn Morrison.
Miami answered at 26:03 when Katie O’Malley scored on her only shot of the match, sending the teams into halftime tied 1-1. O’Malley remained involved after the break, assisting on Bierker’s game-winning goal at 56:39. Bierker finished with two shots, including one on goal, while O’Malley recorded three points with a goal and an assist.
Akron created chances on both sides of Miami’s go-ahead goal. RedHawks goalkeeper Dominique Popa saved Emma Ogdahl’s attempt at 54:05 with the match still tied, then stopped Addison Hall’s shot at 65:35 to preserve the 2-1 lead. Ogdahl led Akron with four shots. Popa played all 90 minutes and finished with two saves while allowing one goal.
Miami held a 14-9 advantage in total shots, put four attempts on goal to Akron’s three and earned seven corner kicks compared with three for the Zips. Bower made one save in 60:04 for Akron before Freya Blatz played the final 29:56. Blatz stopped Morhea Hoefen’s shot in the 70th minute and did not concede a goal.
UMass 1, Ball State 0
Boxscore
MUNCIE, Ind. – A 40th minute goal from sophomore forward Aline Traber proved to be the difference as the University of Massachusetts women's soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over Ball State at Briner Sports Complex on Thursday afternoon. It marked the fourth consecutive win for UMass and second straight shutout.
The Minutewomen improve to 7-1-0 overall, including 1-0-0 in Mid-American Conference play, while the Cardinals moved to 3-4-1 on the season and 0-1-0 in the league.
Massachusetts broke the scoring drought late in the first half, as Aline Traber notched her first goal of the year at the 39:56 mark to make it a 1-0 game. Chloe Kundra curled the ball into the six-yard box with Traber jumping up to get a foot on it. Finding her right foot, Traber chipped it into the bottom right of the goal.
In the first half alone, the Minutewomen totaled seven shots, placing two on goal, while the Cardinals had three shots with one on target.
Both teams went scoreless in the second half, with Massachusetts tallying eight of its nine shots on frame. Ball State registered one shot on goal, only taking two in the half. The Minutewomen held on to claim the 1-0 triumph in the final 45 minutes.
Massachusetts outshot Ball State, 16-5, including 10-2 with shots on goal. UMass had the advantage in corners with six to the Ball State's four.
Traber led with two points with her lone goal, as Kundra registered her first collegiate point with an assist.
Monica Curry posted a team-high five shots, followed by Kayla Nohasiarisoa with four and Traber with three. Kaila Steen, Caroline Dickson, Annie McCaffrey and Sophia Foley all had one shot each. Curry totaled three shots on net, with Nohasiarisoa and Traber each having two on frame.
Leah Nisenfeld stopped two shots and allowed no goals in 90 minutes of action for her third shutout of the season, and 10th of her career.
Kate Pallante of Ball State made nine saves and allowed one goal through 90 minutes in net.
Bowling Green 0, Eastern Michigan 0
Boxscore
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan opened Mid-American Conference women’s soccer play with a 0-0 draw at Cochrane Stadium. The Falcons held a 13-9 advantage in shots, but the teams finished even with three shots on goal and five corner kicks apiece before a crowd of 354.
Goalkeepers Payton O'Malley and Ella Holland each completed a shutout. O'Malley played all 90 minutes and made three saves for Bowling Green, while Holland went the distance with two saves for Eastern Michigan. The Eagles also recorded a team save to deny one of the Falcons’ best second-half chances.
Eastern Michigan produced the first attempt on target when Olivia Sipsock tested O'Malley in the fourth minute, but the Bowling Green goalkeeper stopped the shot to the bottom center. The Falcons later created consecutive attempts before Holland saved Taylor Green’s shot in the 31st minute. Holland made another stop shortly before halftime, turning away Gabby Lamparty’s bottom-center attempt in the 45th minute to keep the match scoreless at the break.
Bowling Green continued to generate chances in the second half. Lamparty put a shot toward the bottom left in the 69th minute, but Eastern Michigan cleared the attempt with a team save. Lamparty led the Falcons with three shots, including two on goal, while Green finished with two shots and one attempt on target. Both played the full 90 minutes.
The Eagles threatened twice during the closing 10 minutes. Sipsock sent a shot toward the bottom left in the 81st minute, and O'Malley made the save to preserve the tie. Sipsock finished with two shots on goal in 50 minutes. Kate Cerveny followed with Eastern Michigan’s final opportunity in the 88th minute, but O'Malley stopped the bottom-center attempt. Cerveny recorded two shots, one on goal, in 39 minutes.
Each side committed 10 fouls, and neither team was called offside. The draw moved Bowling Green to 4-1-2 overall and Eastern Michigan to 2-1-4. Both teams began the MAC schedule at 0-0-1 after Holland and O'Malley combined to keep the match scoreless through the final whistle.
