Miami soccer's regular season came to a triumphant close Thursday when the Lady 'Hawks (12-6-2, 5-4-2) came from behind to defeat the Bowling Green Falcons (4-12-4, 2-6-3) 5-2 on the road. The victory earns Miami the MAC East division title and the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament.
The seeding for the tournament will be: #1 Toledo; #2 Miami; #3 Central Michigan; #4 Eastern Michigan; #5 Western Michigan; #6 Northern Illinois; #7 Akron; #8 Ohio. Tournament play will begin on Sunday, with the 'Hawks hosting Akron (7-10-1, 5-5-1) at 1 p.m.
The 'Hawks were hot early against the Falcons, peppering the net with a flurry of shots, and had one would-be goal waved off due to an offsides penalty in the opening minutes. Then in the 45th minute, the Falcons got off their only shot on goal in the half. After goalkeeper Madison Ryan made the save, Katy Dolesh broke down the field and fired off a shot that was blocked, but Giselle Mangal was there to snag the rebound and score her fifth goal of the season, giving Miami the lead just before halftime. The first half ended with that same score.
In the second half the Falcons took flight, scoring in the 59th minute on a penalty kick and then again in the 63rd minute to take the lead. The 'Hawks tried to tie the game back up when Jess Kodiak attempted a penalty kick in the 70th minute, but it was saved. The play seemed to light a fire under the players though, and in the 76th minute, Dolesh came through with her seventh goal of the season to tie the game. Two minutes later, Dani Fraelick scored her third goal of the season, stealing back the lead. Just six minutes later, the 'Hawks were enjoying a three-goal advantage, courtesy of some insurance goals from Sara Lund (her second of the year) and Kodiak, redeeming her earlier miss with her ninth goal of the season.
You couldn't have asked for a better way to end the season. The 'Hawks are ready now to head into the conference tournament with confidence. They will be looking to avenge their 2-1 overtime loss to the Zips of just two weeks ago. The road to the championship is rough, but the 'Hawks look ready to go the distance.
Comments