The EMU Women’s Soccer team opened up their MAC schedule with a pair of matches at home on September 21. EMU defeated Kent State University 2-0 but fell to Ohio University 1-2. The team remains one game above .500 while sitting right at .500 in-conference.
EMU’s match with Kent State was dominated by defense and goalkeeping. Neither team allowed a goal in the first half. Kent State took 20 shots over the course of the match but only seven reached the keeper. Eastern’s defense did an outstanding job denying the Kent State attack of clean shots at the net and keeper Kaylin Williams handled the rest. Both EMU goals were scored by the same Eagle, junior Kirsten Nason, her third and fourth goal on the season. One goal would have been enough but the security goal was simply icing on the cake. Dominate defense paired with explosive scoring is a recipe for success and earned EMU their first conference victory of the season.
The focus turned to Ohio as EMU moved past their victory over Kent State. Both teams came into the match with undefeated conference record and something had to give. Eastern scored first in the first half. Nason earned her third goal on the weekend and her sixth goal on the season off an assist from Sabrina McNeil. The offensive attack was suppressed from then on out for EMU as they would not find the back of the net again. Ohio scored just before the end of the first half and right at the start of the second half to quickly take the lead 2-1. EMU almost pulled off some late game heroics but a header attempt Aubrey Martin was denied by the Ohio keeper. EMU inevitably fell 2-1.
After splitting their first two conference matches, EMU finds themselves in the middle of the pack in the MAC. The team will now travel south for a pair of road matches, first against Akron on Friday, September 28th and then Buffalo on Sunday, September 30th.
