Nov 7th- Semi’s vs Wright State
We left for Loyola on Friday afternoon, knowing it was going to be a cold and wet game. We arrived and began the coldest game of the season so far. Wright state is an emotional team and they get themselves “amped up” for games and we knew we would be dealing with a lot of pressure throughout a physical match.
Within the early minutes of the game, their keeper hit a short goal kick, I won the first challenge, sending the ball towards Hagen, who got her head on it and flicked it on to Kreuser running in and getting behind their defense. A nice left footed shot by Erin to the right side netting, 1-0.
Wright state, however, was not going to let it go that easy. They got, what could be considered a questionable freekick, a freekick just outside and wide of our 18-yard box on the right side. A well-hit ball to a near post runner, a nice header finish near post, 1-1.
We went into the first half disappointed with the 1-1 score, but vowed to own the midfield and come out with a better intensity then the first half, which is exactly what we did. We were in their half for most of the remaining time and hoped a goal would come soon. We had the momentum and the fitness to go with as the other team started to get winded. Kayla played a nice ball into my feet and I ran at their outside back, who kicked it out for a corner. Sperl then hit in a great driven ball, head height, and Teegs finished near post side netting, 2-0.
With only minutes left in the game, we held Wright state to a 2-1 victory. Overall our first half wasn’t perfect and our passes were a little off but our drive to win was always present and we made it work. I generally don’t say many positives about the other teams, but credit to Wright State for coming out hard and giving us a good game.
A huge thanks to the fans that made the trip down to suffer in the cold, rain and snow!
Nov 9th- HORIZON LEAGUE FINAL!
We haven’t won the Horizon League Tournament for two years. We have lost the past two times we have played Loyola. We even let Loyola score two goals. Unfortunately for them, six is three times bigger then two.
I would like to believe there is no better feeling then winning the Horizon League final after two years of losing, then to win it with six goals and that’s exactly what we did. Although it was streaming live online, I still would like to go through the great six goals that we scored, starting with the tournament MVP Hagen’s first goal... of three.
Their back line attempted to clear a ball, hit it short and our left back, Kayla Dejardin, ran onto it, hitting a lofted diagonal ball to Hagen at about the right corner of the 18 yard box. Hagen, receiving the ball out of the air with a nice touch, took another nice touch pushing her left and past the defense. With a great left-footed shot low and right, it got by their keeper, 1-0.
Minutes later, Sarah Talbert attacked their right back, earning us a corner. I stepped out there, hit a short corner to Sperl standing on the corner of the 18 yard box. Her first touch popped it up and her second was a full volley, next thing I saw was the back of the net flying backwards from the force of the shot, 2-0.
We know what Loyola is capable of doing and we know they can come back from 2-0 deficit. Just like the semifinals, we vowed to come out intense and to score another goal to put the game away.
Why not score four more goals?
Kayla played a ball down the endline into me. I got a serve off and Hagen got on the end of it with a nice shot, but their keeper made a diving save and deflected across the box. The Canadian, Keara, ran through and finished, 3-0.
Minutes later I sent a long serve into the box, Talbert got her head onto it, forcing the keeper to punch the ball out to about the 12 yard mark. There, Hagen half-volleyed past the keeper, 4-0.
At this point they were throwing numbers forward, giving their backs only a few short options to play out of pressure. We took advantage of this, locking them in, I pressured their outside back, who played to their centerback. I continued to pressure, their centerback then turned it over—putting me in behind their back line. Their center back then recovered. Louise is overlapping me to my left at this point, I then led Lou in past the recovered centerback and she smacked a shot near post and it snuck past the keeper in the inches she left open at the near post, 5-1.
They still continued to throw numbers forward and we continued to play smart and keep the ball out of our end. Our final goal came from Teegarden. She hit a ball long. Their keeper came out and their center back came back for it, a miscommunication between the two of them, resulting in neither clearing it out and Hagen getting in on a break away as the ball bounced past both defenders. With nobody left to defend Hagen, she just kicked it in, 6-1.
That was how we won the Horizon League Tournament. Six goals, four different scorers. We would not be where we are without Sarah Hagen, but we have 10 players behind her with just as much to offer and that is why we find ourselves where we are. Credit to Cynthia, #10 on Loyola, for her two great goals, but a team needs more then a #10 goal scorer, and our #10, Hagen, has the rest of us to do and work as much and hard as she is, leading us to regular season co-champs, horizon league tournament champs, and 18th in the country.
Next step NCAA tournament, we are going to Harry’s on Oakland at 6:30 Monday night, come join!!
