Ohio Dominican

Despite a strong effort, Ashland was unable to break its two-game losing streak Wednesday night at Ferguson Field.

The Eagles dropped to 2-9 on the season, falling at the hands of Ohio Dominican in a low-scoring affair, 1-0.

Even though the scoreboard ended in ODU’s favor, Ashland head coach Glenn Francis was pleased with his team’s effort.

“This is the first complete game that we have had,” he said. “The result wasn’t the result we wanted, but it was the best we played collectively from start to finish all year long.”

The game started off slow, with neither team generating any legitimate opportunities despite ODU’s 9-1 advantage in shots in the first half.

The only goal that either team allowed in the contest was scored by Ohio Dominican’s Lauren Pratt in the 39th minute.

Pratt’s goal was scored off a bouncing ball in the box that found its way to Pratt’s foot. Pratt then drilled her shot into the upper left portion of the goal with no AU defenders in sight.

“It was a bad clearance. We shot ourselves in the foot,” Francis said. “We’re not scoring any. We can’t afford to give up one.”

The goal could have demoralized the Eagles, but Ashland kept fighting and stayed in the game.

“After the goal, our head didn’t go down. We didn’t concede the next one,” Francis said.

AU struggled to generate scoring opportunities in the first half, but came out firing in the second.

In the first two minutes of the second half, Ashland’s Bethany Lang got the ball in behind the Panthers’ defense and fired a strong shot one-on-one with ODU’s keeper, Laura Clark. Clark was able to make the save.

The Eagles knew that they had to keep up the pressure and intensity from the urging of Francis.

“There’s an old saying that pressure is good for two things: either busting a pipe or making diamonds,” he said.

Ashland was able to create six shots compared to ODU’s five in the second half, narrowing the Panthers’ lead in shots for the game (14-7).

The game was very competitive between the two clubs, with both teams tied 2-2 in corner kicks and both teams going back and forth with possession.

AU keeper Rebecca Plescia had a strong game in goal, saving four out of the five shots that came her way.

The Eagles have struggled in their 2012 campaign thus far. But tonight’s game was one that the AU coaching staff was proud of, despite not getting the “W” in the win column.

“Tonight’s game was all about playing for each other. That’s what we’ve preached on from day one. And finally, people are buying in,” Francis said.

At the end of the day, it’s another loss for the Eagles. It’s never a good thing to lose, but in this case, Francis was pleased about how his team played and who they represented out there.

“You know, (it’s about) playing for each other, understanding it’s about the purple and gold and not about the I, but the we,” he said. “You’re playing for your family, the seniors and not just for you.”

AU may have lost Wednesday night, but they lost as a team that stuck together and never stopped fighting.

Malone

Ashland broke its three-game losing streak Friday with a 2-0 defeat of Malone.

Freshman forward Bethany Lang and sophomore forward Kathleen Demaree scored back-to-back goals less than a minute apart to break a scoreless streak of over 270 minutes.

Lang scored the first goal in the 63rd minute on a breakaway, her second goal of the season. It was assisted by freshman forward Allison Richards.

Demaree scored 24 seconds later on an assist from Lang. She finished her shot low into the back left corner of the net.

The Eagles outshot the Pioneers 25-3 and had 14 shots on goal to Malone’s two.

Plescia made two saves to earn the clean sheet.

Walsh

While the men had trouble with Walsh on Sunday, it was smooth sailing for the women, who dispatched the Cavaliers 3-0 in the cold and rain at Ferguson Field.

Demaree scored just over four minutes in, when a cross by Richards found her foot and deflected into the goal. It was Demaree’s third goal of the season.

Ashland held the run of play for much of the rest of the first half, and was rewarded when sophomore midfielder/forward Haley Frick headed a cross from junior midfielder Kelly Krispinsky over several defenders and into the left side of the goal.

“I think we were holding the ball up top more and trying to work more off of each other,” Frick said. “…It really worked well.”

Richards, who held the ball up front and distributed from the forward position along with Lang, had a shot rattle the post near the 80-minute mark. She corrected the error in the 84th minute and looped a beautiful shot into the top right corner of the goal to put the game away.

“I just kept going, and then when I got the ball again I was determined and I just shot and scored,” Richards said.

Ashland doubled the Cavaliers in shots (16-8), and Plescia made two saves to earn her second clean sheet in a row.

“We’re really bonding as a team more, and that really shows on the field,” Richards said.