On Friday, Sept. 8, the Ashland University women’s soccer team competed in its third non-conference contest of the 2023-24 season in preparation for Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) play.

The Eagles opted to test themselves as they took on a highly competitive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) side in the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. From start the finish the Eagles dominated en route to a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals at home.

In the Eagles’ third straight home contest, they started off swiftly with a goal in the 6th minute of the contest. With possession in the Cardinals’ box, the Eagles forced the opposition to commit a penalty, resulting in a penalty kick for red-hot midfielder Merrik Mihalek.

Mihalek stepped up to the occasion and crushed the ball into the back netting for a score, giving the home side a 1-0 lead early.

That would be her second goal in two contests, with the other coming against Rollins College off of a free kick.

With momentum in the Eagles favor early, they continued to put the pressure on the Cardinals as the offensive aggression mounted. They would take two more shots before finding a second goal in the contest.

In the 24th minute, a quick pace of play from the Eagle forwards would catch the Cardinal defense on its heels. Forward McKinley Mendenhall sliced a clean cross in front of the six-yard box where forward Dani Hicks knocked the ball into the back netting. The goal would give the Eagles a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first half of play.

As the first half continued on, little action would occur as the Eagles sat back and played strong defense. Through the first 45 minutes the Cardinals took just two shots, made one save and had zero corners, resulting in a dominating start for the Eagles.

In the second half, the storyline would remain the same as both teams battled with the Eagles ultimately having sole control of the contest.

The Cardinals would start putting more offensive production together as they recorded six shots, but it would result in just one goal, coming in the 89th minute. The goal would cut the lead to one, with a final score sitting at 2-1 in favor of the Eagles.

The Eagles will now look to take on the No. 4 nationally ranked Ferris State Bulldogs at home on Sunday, Sept. 10, with kickoff set for 2 p.m.