The Ashland University women’s soccer team has reminded the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) why they are ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation at the Division II level for yet another week.

On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Eagles went toe-to-toe against the Cedarville Yellow Jackets at Ferguson Field, with the Eagles coming out on top in a 3-1 showing.

“Every week the goal is to go 2-0.  Heading into the week our focus was on Walsh and starting the week off with a win, and we were able to do that,” said Eagle Head Coach Cayleb Paulino. “I thought we built on a lot of positives from Wednesday and we were able to carry that momentum over to our match against Cedarville.”

After taking down the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Sept. 27, in a 4-0 shutout win the Eagles geared up to take on the Yellow Jackets. The two sides have had a storied rivalry for the past few seasons as they compete against one another for placement in the conference tournament.

In the 2022 campaign, the Eagles and Yellow Jackets split the season series, 1-1. However, the real stamp was made as the Eagles took them down in the conference championship on the road, to repeat as back-to-back GMAC champions.

When the they met back up on Ferguson Field this past weekend, the game started off with highly intense back an forth action.

In the ninth minute, Eagle midfielder Ella Schneider would find her first score of her collegiate career, with a clean deflection finding the back of the net. The ball was initially saved by Yellow Jacket goalkeeper Brooke Ackley before the deflected ball fell to the foot of Schneider who gave the Eagles the 1-0 lead early.

Following the score, the Eagles remained with control of the contest’s momentum.

They would continue pushing the pace of play and record five corner kicks and four shots until the next goal of the contest would be scored. Although they were producing plenty of offensive firepower, the goal did not come from them, but instead from the Yellow Jackets, tying up the game.

In the 39th minute, Yellow Jacket midfielder Seren Johnson would receive a pristine cross from midfielder Katie Ulmer before belting the ball into the goal, bringing the game level at ones. For the Eagles, the goal given up would be just the second on the season and the first in five games.

Heading into halftime, the two sides had fairly similar performances. The Eagles outshot the Yellow Jackets five to three, while also having six corner kicks compared to the oppositions zero. While both sides showcased tremendous aggression, it was disciplined as just nine fouls were committed.

With three points in conference play being available, the remaining 45 minutes was set to be competitive.

“We have a lot of respect for the Cedarville program and getting a win against them is never easy,” said Paulino.

In the second half, things got off to a fast start as sophomore forward Dani Hicks found her fifth goal of the season off a clean cut-back right footed shot. The ball was slotted into the bottom left corner of the goal, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead coming out of halftime.

After the goal was scored, the Eagles began to sit back defensively, paving the way to a victory. The Eagles would allow just one shot for the Yellow Jackets in the second half, with it being saved by Eagle goalkeeper Mackenzie Simon.

The Eagles would also allow just one corner kick, keeping the pressure off the back line to be put in difficult situations.

In the 73rd minute, the Eagles would add on one more score as freshman Sydney Polen would continue her stellar season. She now has scored three goals on just six shots. The Eagles would push the lead to two, with a 3-1 scoreline.

The win improved the Eagles to 8-0-1 overall on the season and 4-0-1 in conference play.

“I think we learned a lot about ourselves from the Tennessee and Kentucky trip,” said Paulino. “It was the first week all year we were not able to go 2-0. ”

After leaving the week with two wins at home, they now look to take on the Lake Erie College Storm on Wednesday, Oct. 4, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. at Jack Britt Memorial Stadium.

“I know the group felt disappointed to get the tie on the road last week, but I think it motivated the group to take the next step and really help prepare us for two wins against teams receiving recognition as top 10 teams in our region.”