Malone (0-3-0, 0-2-0)

When Ashland senior Andrew Over scored a goal in the sixth minute Friday, it looked like the Eagles were going to roll over Malone.

The Pioneers, playing their first season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, fought back to tie the game before the first half and make Ashland fight for a 2-1 victory.

The Eagles looked dangerous in attack, firing 20 shots, but were lackluster in the midfield at times. That allowed the Pioneers to fire 13 shots of their own and hang around.

“Not our best performance tonight, but we managed to get a result, which was good,” Ashland head coach Jon Freeman said.

On Ashland’s first goal, sophomore forward Adam Mitchell made a brilliant run up the left side and played a low cross into the middle of the penalty area.

Over was able to get a touch and flick the ball past the goalkeeper in the right corner of the goal. It was Ashland’s first goal in the first half of a match this season.

The Eagles controlled much of the play for the next 15 minutes, but could not widen the lead.

Once the Pioneers settled into the match about 20 minutes in, they were able to control the midfield and create chance after chance before halftime.

Sam Tonelli made the pressure pay in the 26th minute.

His teammate, Josh Abend, sent a hard shot towards goal from the left side of the penalty that was knocked away by Ashland junior goalkeeper Justin Nolan.Tonelli pounced on the loose ball and sent it flying towards the right side of the goal, where it took a touch off of AU sophomore defender Alex Kemp before trickling past him and into the net.

“Sometimes we were own worst enemy, giving some balls away in some areas of the field that you can’t do,” Freeman said. “They punished us once for it, and they almost punished us twice.”

Malone forced Nolan to make four saves in the first half and five total.

Mitchell continued to create opportunities for the Eagles throughout the match, and twice found himself one-on-one against the keeper at the end of the first half. Both times, he struck shots with the outside of his right foot from inside the penalty area. One was saved and the other trickled wide.

“[Mitchell]’s such a handful because of his strength,” Freeman said. “He’s not the most technical, but he makes things happen through his work rate.”

The Eagles took the lead back ten minutes into the second half, when sophomore defender Max Rhoda made a run up from right back and swung a cross into the box that was aimed at graduate student Guilherme Karaoglan.

Guilherme took a touch before the ball was knocked into the back of the net by a Malone defender for an own goal. It gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Ashland slowed play down for stretches during the final half hour but still pushed forward to create opportunities. Twice in the last ten minutes the Eagles saw chances to grab a two-goal lead slip by.

Graduate student Keiichi Nguyen came up from the midfield and put a shot on goal that was saved, and freshman forward Eric Ashley almost slotted a shot near post from a narrow angle.

Freeman liked how his team looked in attack, something the Eagles lacked in 2011.

“We’re a little bit more dangerous than what we were last year,” Freeman said. “We have a few more options going forward.”

Kemp, Nguyen and senior defender Mitch Deyhle all received yellow cards in a game that threatened to get out of the referee’s hands at times. Malone also received three cautions.

At No. 20 SVSU (5-1-0, 2-1-0)

The Eagles got their first big road test of the season Sunday, heading to Saginaw to take on the 20th-ranked Cardinals.

Last season, in the only meeting between the two teams, Ashland shut out the eventual regular season GLIAC champions in a scoreless draw.

The Eagles held the Cardinals scoreless for a half Sunday, but SVSU was able to find a late goal for a 1-0 victory.

Craig Neal scored on a bicycle kick in the 69th minute off of a cross from the right side by Zack Minor.

Ashland pressed for an equalizer, but was only able to get off two shots in the final 20 minutes.

Sophomore forward Adam Mitchell shot three times—twice on goal—to lead the Eagles. Senior defender Mitch Deyhle was the only other player to put a shot on frame for Ashland.

The Cardinals outshot the Eagles, 16-7. SVSU only put two shots on frame, however, including the goal.

Junior goalkeeper Justin Nolan made one save.

Ashland received four yellow cards in the second half.

Junior defender Jamie Dollar, sophomore midfielder Buster Meaney and Deyhle were all booked, and the Eagles’ bench received a yellow card in the 77th minute.

Ashland committed 15 fouls to SVSU’s 13.

The Eagles are back home this weekend, with matches against GLIAC North-leading Northwood—which received votes to be included in the latest national poll—4 p.m.

Friday and Findlay 2 p.m. Sunday.

Then they head back on the road to take on Lake Erie before finishing out the month of September with a match at home against Notre Dame College 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30.