No. 2 AU Women Win NCAA First Round Home Game Against Huskies

Nineteen years and two days.
 
That was how long it had been since the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's soccer team had won an NCAA Division II postseason game – prior to the Eagles' 3-0 victory against Michigan Tech in a 2023 first-round game at Ferguson Field on Thursday (Nov. 16) night.
 
Ashland is 18-0-4, and will move on to the NCAA second round at home on Saturday (Nov. 18) at 3 p.m. against Cedarville (16-4-1). The Eagles won in the NCAA postseason for the first time since a 1-0 decision against Wisconsin Parkside on Nov. 14, 2004, and scored its highest goal total in an NCAA playoff game since three against Wheeling Jesuit in 2002.
 
"As much as you don't want to talk about it, history doesn't want to repeat itself," said Ashland head coach Cayleb Paulino. "I'm glad for the group and the growth of the program, and what we've been able to do. We finally got over the hump at the national stage, and hopefully we can keep the momentum going forward."
 
The Huskies' season ends at 8-5-7.
 
In the 14^th minute, freshman midfielder Ella Schneider's goal in close to the Tech net, her fourth of the season, put the Eagles up 1-0. Junior forward McKinley Mendenhall had the assist of a corner kick, her seventh of 2023.
 
The 41^st minute saw freshman forward Sydney Polen score another goal in front of the Huskies net, for her sixth goal of the campaign. Another rookie, defender Clara Richardson, picked up her second assist of the year.
 
Following a scramble, junior midfielder Tori Haggit potted her fourth goal of the season, unassisted, in the 58^th minute for a 3-0 Eagle advantage.
 
"The focus was to go 2-0 this week, and the job was to prepare for Michigan Tech," Paulino said. "Today, the focus of the group, the game plan, I thought it was spot-on. The kids bought in, and the team found away to get a result."
 
POST-GAME NUGGETS

• Ashland recorded its seventh consecutive shutout on Thursday night, and the Eagles' 18^th clean sheet in 22 games this season. Junior goalkeeper Maddie Dolenga stopped six shots in the victory for her sixth individual shutout of the season, and her season goals-against average dropped to 0.12.
• "There's a reason why we're here. There's a reason why we found the success, and I don't think it's a secret," said Paulino.
• The Huskies out-shot the Eagles, 13-7, but Ashland had 11 of the game's 12 corner kicks.