After a rough start to the season in which the women’s soccer team lost nine of its first eleven games, the Eagles turned things around to finish the year 7-10-1 overall and 6-6-1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

A late push for a spot in the GLIAC tournament fell just short, with Ashland finishing in a tie for eighth place with Northwood. The Timberwolves moved on to the postseason thanks to their 2-0 defeat of the Eagles earlier in the season.

The youthful AU squad went 5-1-1 over its last seven games, including a 1-0 win over Ohio Dominican, who beat Ashland on Oct. 3, to close out the season Saturday.

In fact, the last two weekends were the only back-to-back weekends in which the team went without a loss, showing just how much more consistent it was at the end of the year than at the beginning.

Lake Erie (3-11, 2-8)

The Eagles began their final weekend of home matches with a 1-0 win over Lake Erie on Oct. 19. Freshman forward Beth Lang scored the game-winner with less than nine minutes remaining.

Ashland survived a first half in which it was outshot by the Storm 4-3, and came out much more attacking in the second half.

AU shot 10 times in the final period compared to just two shots by Lake Erie. Included in those attempts were seven shots on goal.

Lang’s goal came on her only shot of the match, which was a lofted attempt that went over the head of Lake Erie goalkeeper Sarah Stroope.

Stroope made six saves, while AU junior keeper Rebecca Plescia made five saves to earn the clean sheet, her fourth in five games.

Ashland freshman forward Allison Richards was active, firing a total of five shots, three of which were on frame.

The Eagles also held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Notre Dame (3-11-1, 2-8-1)

After surviving the storm against Lake Erie, the Eagles returned to Ferguson Field for the last time Sunday and had to weather two first-half goals by Notre Dame College, coming back in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw.

The Falcons’ Alex Defilippo hit the back of the net in the 22nd minute and Lauren Acker added to the lead 11 minutes later with her seventh goal of the season.

Despite being behind, the Eagles outshot the Falcons 8-6 in the first half. It was a situation that might have rattled AU earlier in the season, but at this juncture the team could not have looked more determined to turn the score around.

For the final 65 minutes of play, the Eagles fired 20 shots to just one for Notre Dame, finishing with a 28-7 advantage in total shots.

Freshman midfielder Alexandra Kovarik set the tone for the second half just 27 seconds in, receiving a pass from Richards and firing a low shot into the goal to cut the deficit in half.

Richards finally found the equalizer in the 79th minute off of an assist from freshman midfielder Carly Joliat.

Neither team was able to find a winner through both overtimes.

NDC goalkeeper Kristy Kolschetzky made 14 saves to keep the score level, while Plescia saved five attempts for the Eagles.

The game was the last at Ferguson Field for seniors Rachel Luebke, Jessica Slauter and Maria Lackey, who were honored before the game.

Luebke, the captain for Ashland in 2012, started every game over her four years for the Eagles. She anchored head coach Glenn Francis’s defense and recorded one assist. She was also named to the GLIAC All-Academic team in 2011.

Slauter played in at least five games all four years as a member of the team.

Lackey was a starter throughout her AU career and a fixture in Francis’s midfield for her final three seasons. She had one goal and four assists and started every game in 2012 as a captain.

At ODU (10-5-3, 6-4-3)

Ashland closed its season with a win at Ohio Dominican on Saturday. Kovarik scored the second-half winner in the 1-0 victory.

Kovarik’s goal came in the 69th minute and was slotted inside the far post from the right side. It was her second goal in as many games and her third of the season.

Ashland finished with a slim 12-10 advantage in total shots in a fairly even game. However, the Eagles made the most of their opportunities, firing four shots on frame to three for the Panthers.

Plescia made three saves to close the season with another clean sheet.

Francis has to be pleased with the performance of his young team down the stretch.

The Eagles will return every player that scored in 2012. The top three were all freshmen.

Richards led the team with five goals, with Kovarik and Lang close behind with three each.

Richards was also the only AU player to record more than one assist, finishing with three.

Plescia, who will also be returning, led the Eagles with five shutouts, all of which came in the final seven games of the season.