After winning the Great Midwest Athletic Conference women’s soccer tournament championship for two straight campaigns, the Eagles are looking to find a third in the 2023 fall season.
To start the season in non-conference play, the Eagles have made a good case that they can do just that after taking down the Grand Valley State Lakers and Rollins College Tars in the team’s opening two contests.
On Saturday, Sept. 2, the Eagles hosted its first home opener of the season with the Tars traveling from Winter Park, Fla. for a rematch of last season’s defeat.
In the 2022 campaign, the Eagles fell to the Tars on the road in Florida in a 2-0 affair. With revenge on the Eagles’ minds, they waltzed onto Ferguson Field and dominated from start to finish.
To open the contest, the aggression that Head Coach Cayleb Paulino used last season, continued as the offense quickly and efficiently found its way onto the Tars side of the field. While they were unable to take any shots, the opening 15 minutes was heavily skewed in the Eagles favor.
The Tars attempted to get on the board early in the 8th minute as a shot from midfielder Peyton Massie made a run and put a clean shot on goal against goalkeeper Mackenzie Simon. Just eight minutes later in the 16th minute, Massie found herself in front of the goal once again, but Simon was able to keep the sheet clean.
After the Eagles would get the ball back, they would find the opening goal in the 22nd minute.
Off of a free kick just outside of the box, midfielder Merrik Mihalek slotted the ball on the ground into the bottom right corner of the goal for the 1-0 lead.
The remainder of the first half would see the Eagles sit back defensively and produce just one more shot offensively, while the Tars kept putting shots on goal for Simon, who would continue to make critical saves.
In half number two, that storyline would remain the same, except the Eagles would tack on another goal, sealing the game shut.
In the 52nd minute forward Dani Hicks pushed her way past the Tars defense and with two players closing out on her she tapped the ball past the goalkeeper, marking a 2-0 lead.
Simon would continue to add more saves onto the board as she finished the contest with a total of six through 11 shots coming her way. Simon’s efforts will give her a good opportunity to take home conference honors and recognitions in Week One as she starts the season with back-to-back clean sheets.
The Eagles now look to another home contest as they take on Saginaw Valley State on Friday, Sept. 8, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.
