Huskies Post 2-0 Shutout of Northwood (Mich.)
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Northwood (2-3-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Michigan Tech (2-3-0) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech soccer team kicked off the weekend Friday night with a 2-0 shutout victory in a non-conference match against Northwood University at Sherman Field. The Huskies' offense delivered a goal in both periods while the defense turned in the second shutout of the season.
"There was a lot to be proud of tonight," Michigan Tech Head Coach Michelle Jacob said. "We struggled a little bit in the first half, but I thought we progressively got better and better as the night went on. We made some adjustments at halftime to make us stronger both offensively and defensively and I thought our players did a good job to make those changes.
"The girls have every right to be proud of their performance tonight. We'll have another tough match on Sunday, but this definitley gives us a confidence boost. We saw a lot of creativity tonight on offense and the creation of scoring chances so hopefully we can carry that pace and mentality into Sunday's game."
Michigan Tech (2-3-0) went on the attack early and often Friday night on the way to a season high 22 shots. Junior Andrea Zubke led the charge with a shot on goal in the fifth minute that had to be saved by goalie Julia Luzod. Zubke fired two additional shots that went just wide over the next few minutes.
The consistent pressure on the Northwood (2-3-0) defense eventually led to the first goal of the match in the 32nd minute. Freshman Leah Goldman found the top shelf of the right corner of the net for her first career goal to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Goldman maneuvered her way past a couple of Northwood defenders and from just outside the goalie box made the strike.
Goldman had a bid for goal number two denied in the 35th minute on a save by Luzod while junior Marisa DeMario and freshmen Brooke Schauer each added attempts of their own before the half expired.
Schauer wouldn't be denied a goal on her next blast though, which came in the 61st minute. Schauer once again delivered a deep shot that sailed over the head and out of the reach of Luzod in front of the net. It was the second consecutive match in which she scored a goal from long range. Schauer's strike gave the Huskies some breathing room with a 2-0 lead and from there the defense did the rest.
Senior goalie Kirsen Hudak made five saves, including three in the second half which all came after Schauer's goal in the 61st minute. Hudak stopped potential scoring opportunities by Talene Nercesian in the 71st minute, Emilie Pechette in the 77th minute, and Kassidy Embrey in the 88th minute. As a result, Hudak earned her first win and shutout of the 2017 campaign.
Schauer powered the offense for Tech with five shots, with three on goal, and one finding the back of the net. Goldman followed with four shots and one goal which went onto the stat sheet as the game winner Friday night. As a team, the Huskies launched 22 total shots with 13 being on goal. They also had the edge in corner kicks by a margin of 4-2.
Nercesian had a team high four shots for the Timberwolves, two of which had to be saved by Hudak. Ashton Brooks had the next highest shot total with two on the night. Luzod played all 90 minutes in front of the net and finished the match with 10 saves.
The Huskies will wrap up their four match home stand on Sunday afternoon when they host Saginaw Valley State at 12 p.m. Fans can follow the action with live video and stats by clicking here.
