Following a 3-0 win at Ferguson Field on Saturday (Nov. 2) night, the No. 3-ranked Ashland University women's soccer team has won the 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season championship.
The Eagles (14-1-2 overall, 11-0-2 conference) have won their second Great Midwest regular-season title, and their first since 2021. That, along with Great Midwest Tournament titles in 2021 and 2022.
"I think we learned a lot from last year," said Ashland head coach
Cayleb Paulino. "We were in the same situation where we had three games left and we controlled our own destiny and we were short last year and had to go on the road.
"For them to get four conference championships in four years is amazing, and they're cementing their legacy for sure."
The Pioneers are 8-7-1, 6-7.
In the ninth minute, sophomore midfielder
Ella Schneider scored her fourth goal of the fall, while senior forward
Tori Haggit picked up her second assist of the campaign.
Then, in the 38
th minute, Ashland took a 2-0 lead on a rebound goal from junior midfielder
Emily Pate for her third tally of 2024. The double assist came from fifth-year forward
Allison King and senior forward
Sydney McMillan (both their second of the season).
The 54
th minute saw senior forward
Dani Hicks score on a corner kick, her 13
th of the season and the 31
st of her career (eighth-most in program history). Schneider's helper was her second of the season, and the second assist on the play came from senior forward
McKinley Mendenhall, her 10
th of the season and 35
th of her Eagle career – two away from tying for the all-time program lead.
Ashland will play host to the 2024 Great Midwest Tournament Final Four on Nov. 14 and 16.
"It's hard to play here when teams come here," Paulino said. "We're more comfortable, we know who we are when we're here. That was the goal to win the first one and make sure we're at home."
CLEAN SHEET NO. 13…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- Ashland turned in shutout No. 13 of the season, as fifth-year goalkeeper Mackenzie Simon started and made two saves, then senior keeper Maddie Dolenga finished in the second half and also made two stops.
- There were 13 corner kicks on Saturday night, and AU took all of them. Ashland also had a decided 37-6 shots advantage.
- The Eagles have won six in a row against the Pioneers, and have a 10-1 record in the series.
UP NEXT
Ashland will finish the regular season on Wednesday (Nov. 6) at noon at Northwood (11-1-5, 9-1-3).
