It's been a certainty each of the last three seasons – the women's soccer sides from Ashland University and Cedarville playing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament.
In 2021 and 2022, the Eagles topped the Yellow Jackets in the conference tournament championship game. On Thursday (Nov. 9) afternoon at Northwood, No. 2-ranked Ashland improved to 17-0-3 and advanced to the 2023 league tourney title game following a 3-0 decision over Cedarville (15-4-1).
Ashland will play the host Timberwolves (15-3-2) in Midland, Mich., on Saturday (Nov. 11) at noon – looking for a Great Midwest tourney title three-peat. On Oct. 17 on the road, the Eagles shut out Northwood, 2-0.
The Eagles wasted scant time in taking a 1-0 lead, as, in the fourth minute, senior midfielder
Peyton Starner's third goal of the season got Ashland on the board first. Sophomore forward
Dani Hicks assisted for her team-leading seventh helper of the fall.
Freshman midfielder
Ella Schneider then allowed the Eagles to score early in the second half, as her third tally this season in the 54
th minute gave AU a 2-0 lead. Junior forward
McKinley Mendenhall had the assist, her sixth of the season.
In the 61
st minute on a penalty kick, junior forward
Tori Haggit made it a 3-0 Eagle advantage following her third goal as an Eagle. That gave Ashland its biggest goal-scoring output since three at home vs. Lake Erie on Oct. 14.
POST-GAME NUGGETS
- Junior goalkeeper Maddie Dolenga, in her sixth consecutive start, earned her fourth solo clean sheet and the Eagles' 16th as a team in 20 games this season (fifth in a row). She made a pair of saves in Thursday's victory, as her season goals-against average dropped to 0.16.
- Ashland had a 9-5 shots advantage and a 5-2 corner kicks advantage.
UP NEXT
The conference tournament championship game on Saturday.
