For the women’s club soccer team, freshman Macaela Bennett scored the first goal of the season against Grand Valley State University.
“I knew that their defense was not in a position to stop me and I zoned everything out,” Bennet said.
The women’s team lost the game 4-1. Their previous encounter against Grand Valley State University in Petosky, MI ended in a 9-0 defeat.
“I know we started off the season really defensive-minded,” said sophomore vice president Larissa Yahsko. “We are not doing that anymore.”
Yashko focused the team offensively by switching to a 4-4-2 formation. Senior Susan Manuel lead the defense throughout the game as keepers freshman Katie Burke and sophomore Eleanor Fina blocked several attacks from the opposing team.
“Eleanor is a beast,” Bennett said.
The team constantly rotated substitutes, increasing the optimism and communication of the team as the players moved quickly off the ball, taking several shots on the opposing goal.
“Guys, this is so intense and fun,” sophomore Sheridan Markatos said.
Although the women’s team’s Sunday game against Ashland was cancelled, they supported the men’s club soccer team in their game against the University of Notre Dame on the same day.
“I think it went pretty well, but I just don’t think we played with the intensity and desire that we wanted to,” junior Aaron Tracey said of the men’s loss.
The men moved quickly across the field, taking several shots at the opposing team’s goal, yet were defeated 5-0.
“The score really didn’t reflect the intensity out there,” said sophomore Thomas Ohlgren, vice president of the men’s soccer club. “I felt like we were keeping up with them for most of the game and we got unlucky.”
Freshman Benjamin Maloley, keeper for the men’s club soccer team, successfully stopped several attacks from Notre Dame, yet the second goal made by the opposing team surprised all.
“They scored one, then they scored that second which was kind of a cheap deflection goal,” sophomore Landon Peterson said. “And that kind of took the wind out of our sails, but I think overall, especially early on, we played well.”
Shots were taken just for the sake of taking them as the team became frustrated. Peterson received a yellow card for an illegal tackle. The forwards continued to push, pressuring the opposing team, yet there was some disconnect between the defense and forwards when the ball reached the midfielders.
“I think we just need to work on our first touches and work on finishing. I think that is just what it came down to,” Tracey said. “Like I said they got the lucky ones. We hit the post a couple of times and we just didn’t follow through as much as we wanted to.”
The men’s club soccer team will be playing their next game against Spring Arbor on Oct. 22 and the women’s club soccer team will be playing against Ashland this Saturday, Oct. 6.