Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Women Rally to Tie Eastern Michigan, 2-2
10/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Marshall Women Rally to Tie Eastern Michigan, 2-2
10/20/2002
- MU-EMU
Freshman Jorie Grundstrom was one of several Herd defenders that had an impressive outing against the Eagles. |
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- The Marshall women?s soccer team battled Eastern Michigan University to a 2-2 tie Sunday on a soaked Sam Hood Field. Marshall (6-6-2, 3-4-2) found themselves down early in the first half, but regrouped to put on a stellar second half performance and tie the match at two.
?We had a lull for ten minutes in the first period and we paid the price to the tune of two goals,? head coach Teresa Patterson said. ?I am very proud of my team?s ability to absorb adjustments at the half and fight back from a big deficit. We have to train this week and put together a complete 90 minutes of good soccer next weekend.?
Eastern Michigan (6-9-2/3-5-2) jumped out to an early lead, scoring two goals in the first fifteen minutes of the match. The Eagles? Heather Pedersen opened the scoring by slipping a shot into the net at the 9:52 mark. Six minutes later EMU struck again as Kai Harris crossed the ball to Libby Neirman on the right side who chipped the ball into the upper left corner of the net for the score.
The Herd found themselves down 2-0 at the half, but came out of the locker room undeterred. Marshall?s determination paid off as they came up with a score only four minutes into the second half. MU?s Lindsey Jayjack (Dublin, OH) blasted a shot from near midfield that found the back of the net to make the score 2-1.
The second half domination by the Herd continued as the MU kept the pressure on Eastern Michigan. The tying goal came at the 71:06 mark as freshman forward Jaime Gruber (Hudson, OH) passed the ball to Stacy Wells (Monroe, OH) who promptly lofted a perfectly place shot just over the EMU goalkeeper to tie the match, 2-2.
Marshall continued to play well on both sides of the ball as they held the Eagles at bay through two ten minute overtime periods. The Herd however, wasn?t able to find the back of the net either and the match ended in a deadlock.
MU goalkeeper Sarah Barber (Cincinnati, OH) played a spectacular game in the net, hoding the Eagles scoreless through the final 85 minutes of the contest. Barber made numerous diving saves in critical situations to help keep the Herd in the game. She faced 30 shots in the match and finished the contest with nine saves. Barber also got some help from her teammates as the Herd tallied three team saves on the day.
?I am so proud of our team for coming back like we did,? Barber said. ?It was a total team effort and I owe a lot of credit to my defenders.?
Eastern out shot the Herd, 30-21 and held the advantage in corner kicks, 8-3, but Marshall caught the Eagles offsides nine times.
Ball State is up next for the Herd as they travel to Muncie, IN Friday, Oct. 25th. From there Marshall will head to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami (OH). Both Mid-American Conference contests are key for the Herd as they are now in a four-way tie for seventh place heading into the final two weeks of MAC play.
