As a new season gets under way, the Eastern Michigan University women’s soccer team will look to improve on last year and go a few steps farther in the playoffs.
With the addition of new faces and a mix of some players from last year’s squad, everyone on the team is enthusiastic and has the goal of playing in the postseason.
The Mid-American Conference tournament ended quickly for the Eagles in 2010. The Eagles fell to rival Western Michigan in the first round on penalty kicks after trying to break a scoreless tie.
“We expect leadership from four great seniors and will hopefully dictate what will happen,” said Hall, going in to his 13th season.
For 2011, the Eagles signed nine players to letters-of-intent. Some came from as close as Troy, Mich., while freshman forward Bianca Rossi came from Mississauga, Ont. Freshman midfielder Molli Krick (Novi, Mich.) and freshman defender Emily Dzik (Troy, Mich.) appeared in the state championship this past spring. With freshmen players bringing various high school experiences, Hall wants to give this group some playing time at the collegiate level.
“We have a great core of players with young talent,” Hall said.
Spartans take exhibition
Before getting the regular season under way, the Eagles lost an exhibition game, 1-0, at Scicluna Field against Michigan State on Aug.13. The first half began with both teams not getting many scoring chances within the first five minutes. At halftime, it was still a scoreless tie, but Michigan State was outshooting Eastern Michigan, 10-3.
Seven minutes into the last half, midfielder Kelsey Kassab scored off a direct kick over an Eastern Michigan three-player wall 30 yards away from the goal. The Spartans tried adding an insurance goal but often found the defense too strong.
The Eagles showed some aggression in the closing minutes but failed to find the tying goal.
“We saw that our system was working and we moved the ball,” senior defender Julie Kaim said.
Hall said, “We were able to get a few players out and kind of evaluate them, and get the nerves out.”
Opener is a 2-2 tie
For the opening game of the 2011 regular season, the Eagles traveled to Pittsburgh on Aug. 19 and tied the Panthers, 2-2. The game was scoreless at halftime, and Pittsburgh outshot EMU, 11-7.
With almost 70 minutes into the game, freshman forward Angela Vultaggio scored to put the Eagles ahead with the assist going to sophomore midfielder Cara Cutaia.
Pittsburgh later took the lead by putting in two goals. But with 10 seconds left in regulation, Cutaia shot and scored to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Two overtimes did not settle the score as the final ended in a 2-2 draw.
Schedule notes
The Eagles played at Detroit Mercy on Aug. 23. The team then will head to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Butler, Oakland and Western Kentucky before playing its first regular season game at home. EMU will take on Illinois State on at 4 p.m. Sept. 16 at Scicluna Field.
