UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's soccer team fell just short in a tightly contested 1-0 battle against Findlay on Sunday morning at Robert C. Braddock Field.
The Cardinals (2-2-0) outshot the Oilers 12-8 and held a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks, but an early Findlay goal proved to be the difference. SVSU generated eight of its 12 shots in the second half while limiting the Oilers to just one attempt over the final 45 minutes.
Findlay struck in the ninth minute when a long-distance shot went over everyone and off the far post and in.
Saginaw Valley responded by creating three chances in a span of just over a minute. Grace Battershell (Rochester Hills, Mich., Adams HS) recorded the Cardinals' first attempt in the 15th minute before Emily Kolodin (Grand Blanc, Mich., Grand Blanc HS) and Melanie Kolnitys (Midland, Mich., H. H. Dow HS) followed with shots of their own.
The Cardinals continued to apply pressure and earned three corner kicks over the final 13 minutes of the opening half, but Findlay carried its one-goal advantage into the break.
SVSU increased the pressure after halftime. Abby Ellis (Waterford, Mich., Waterford Mott HS) produced the Cardinals' first shot on goal in the 55th minute, forcing a save before Saginaw Valley earned a corner kick moments later.
The Cardinal defense, meanwhile, kept Findlay from adding to its lead. The Oilers managed just one shot in the second half, an attempt that struck the crossbar in the 52nd minute.
Saginaw Valley continued searching for the equalizer down the stretch. AvaLee Pomper (Richmond, Mich., Memphis Junior/Senior HS) put an attempt on target in the 74th minute, while SVSU generated four more shots over the final 10 minutes. Gracie Cwik (Bartlett, Ill., Bartlett HS) recorded a pair of late attempts, and the Cardinals earned one final corner with 28 seconds remaining before Findlay held on for the 1-0 decision.
Ellis and Cwik each finished with two shots, while Kolnitys also recorded a pair of attempts. Ava Wilberding (Grand Rapids, Mich., Forest Hills Central HS) played all 90 minutes in goal and made one save.
The Cardinals finished with an 8-1 advantage in second-half shots and a 3-1 edge in corners after halftime. Possession was balanced with 53% going to SVSU while the Cardinals had nearly half of their possession in the attacking end zone.
Head coach Tyler Channell said this after the close match,
"Tough one to swallow today for sure. For the first game this season we started slow and it resulted in an earned goal against us. I was very proud of how we were able to handle that adversity early and come back to play the way we did. I thought we deserved more from the game but credit to a quality side of Findlay for keeping us out of the goal. We look to bounce back with a tough trip to the UP next weekend!"
Up Next: Saginaw Valley women's soccer returns to action on Friday, September 11 when they head to Michigan Tech for their first GLIAC match. The Cardinals and Huskies are set for a 6 PM kickoff from Kearly Stadium in Houghton, Michigan.
