M’ville blanks Boro, soccer dealt first loss

The 16th ranked Edinboro women’s soccer team lost for the first time this season in a cold and rainy game Saturday against Millersville in a 1-0 shutout. Following the loss the Scots fell to a 3-1 record on the season and 2-1 ledger in PSAC play.

The Marauders only had one shot on goal, but they made it count, putting it over the head of goaltender Sierra Davis and into the top right corner of the net with a little over 28 minutes left to play in the match.

“We just try to come together as a team and start fighting back,” midfielder Jansen Hartmann said about her thoughts after the goal. “We had so many opportunities in the first half and we needed to get one back so we could tie.”

The Fighting Scots defense has been stellar all season, only allowing one goal before Saturday’s game. Head coach Gary Kagiavas has been alternating his two goalies, sophomore Sarah Baskey and Davis, so far this season. “Right now we’ve got this rotation going and if it doesn’t work then we need to re-evaluate, but right now they’re both playing equally good,” Kagiavas said. Each goalie has allowed only one goal each this season. Similarly, the defense has done their job, allowing no more than 11 shots in a single game this year.

The offense, on the other hand, has not been as efficient, only having one multiple goal game this season. However, Edinboro was able to tally 18 shots for the game on Saturday, but none of them found the back of the net. Hartmann led the game in shots, with a total of four. “All you can do is keep shooting,” Hartmann noted.

The consistent, heavy rain became a factor throughout the game as well. “The ball really skids, so the speed of play is a lot quicker. We have to get used to playing people’s feet so it doesn’t go out of bounds,” Hartmann said of changing the game plan due to the weather.

Neither Kagiavas nor Hartmann appeared too distraught about their first loss of the season. “We just have to keep moving forward because there’s 14 other games that we have, so one loss shouldn’t set us back,” Hartmann said.

Kagiavas noted that there are multiple positives to take away from the game, saying that they outshot Millersville by an overwhelming margin and set up plenty of chances. They just were unable to come away with the victory.

On Friday, Edinboro defeated Shippensburg 1-0 as the leading scorer sophomore Ashley Mutkus netted the only goal of the game, her third of the season and her second straight game-winning goal. The Scots have outshot all of their opponents by an overwhelming margin this season, 69-23.

The Fighting Scots have a pair of road matches upcoming as they visit non-conference foe Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon and take the trip to California (Pa.) on Sept. 23.

Michael McLaughlin is a staff writer for The Spectator.

RELATED ARTICLES