Tyler Pease
Sports Reporter
Over the weekend, the women’s soccer team from Western Michigan University played two conference games on the road. The first against Miami of Ohio on Friday, Oct. 5 which they lost 3-0. The second was on Sunday, Oct. 7 when they faced off against Ball State and tied 0-0 after double overtime.
In their first game of the weekend against the Miami Redhawks, the first goal came in the seventh minute of the game when Kayla Zakrzewski sent a ball into the box and Haley Walter scored her sixth goal of the season for Miami. While that was the only goal scored in the half, Miami created plenty more chances. They totaled eight shots in the half and Western Michigan only mustered three.
Although the shots ended an even five to five in the second half, the scoring was not. Miami proceeded to put the game away with two second half goals. Zakrzewski again crossed the ball into the box where Morgan Beck redirected the ball into the net for her first goal of the season in the 56th minute. Then in the 88th minute, Zakrzewski scored a goal of her own and her fifth of the season, coming off of a cross by Katy Dolesh.
With eight shots on goal in the game, the Broncos only registered two on net, coming from Diana Dedvukaj and Aubrey Sudomier, both of which were saved by the Miami goalkeeper Allison Norenberg. Meanwhile Miami had 13 total shots and seven of them on net, Bronco goalkeeper Michelle Watson stopped four of them.
In the second game of the weekend, Western battled through another double overtime outing, as both teams went scoreless in 110 minutes of action. The Western Michigan defense was particularly impressive as Ball State generated an enormous amount of pressure with 20 shots in the game.
The first half in particular saw an offensive rush from Ball State where the team got off 14 shots, and Bronco goalkeeper Michelle Watson made six saves while the defense blocked several other shots. Western Michigan’s offense was effectively stifled as they managed only two shots the entire half, one of which was on goal.
The second half was far more even as the Broncos held a slim lead in shots, five to four. Michelle Watson made four more saves while Ball State’s keeper Aubrey Buehler made three of her five total saves in the second half.
The overtime periods were quiet offensively, as only three shots were taken between the teams, one for Western in the first overtime, and two for Miami, both in the second overtime. Michelle Watson notched a career high of 12 saves and put up her fourth shutout of the season. This is also the third time this season the Broncos have played to a scoreless tie in double overtime.
This coming weekend will feature two home games for the Broncos and will be their last home games of the regular season. Friday, Oct. 12 will see Kent State at 4 p.m., and then Sunday, Oct. 14 will be against Ohio at 1 p.m.
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