No. 3 Eagle Women End Regular Season With Emphatic Win At Timberwolves

Ashland University's No. 3-ranked women's soccer team finished the 2024 regular season with a 4-1 win at Northwood on Wednesday (Nov. 6) afternoon.
 
The conference regular-season champion Eagles will go into the 2024 Great Midwest Tournament Final Four at Ferguson Field on Nov. 14 at 15-1-2 overall and 12-0-2 in the league. The Timberwolves are 11-2-5, 9-2-3.
 
Ashland took the early 1-0 lead when senior forward McKinley Mendenhall potted her 10^th goal of the season in the 17^th minute. The goal was Mendenhall's 29^th as an Eagle, and was assisted by senior defender Hope Evans, her second helper of the fall.
 
Mendenhall then tallied goal No. 11 of the season and No. 30 of her career – becoming the ninth player in program history to score as many – in the 24^th minute. The goal on an assist from sophomore midfielder Ella Schneider (her third of the season) put the Eagles up 2-0, and with 95 career points, Mendenhall moved into fourth place on the program's all-time list following her third career brace.
 
Senior midfielder Merrik Mihalek then took a penalty kick and made it a 3-0 AU lead into the 28^th minute. The goal was Mihalek's fifth of 2024.
 
Northwood dented the scoreboard in the waning seconds of the first half on a goal by Ashtyn Lange, assisted by Reagan Brengman.
 
Ashland moved its lead back to three goals at 4-1 in the 61^st minute when senior forward Tori Haggit scored her third of the campaign, unassisted.
 
Senior goalkeeper Maddie Dolenga played the first half and had two saves, and fifth-year keeper Mackenzie Simon played the second half and stopped one shot.
 
ANOTHER SEASON MILESTONE…AND THE REST OF THE STORY

• This is the tenth time in the 30 seasons of AU women's soccer that the team has won at least 15 games.
• Ashland is 6-0-4 in the last 10 outings vs. Northwood.
• The Eagles out-shot the Timberwolves by a 13-6 count, and led 5-2 in corner kicks.

UP NEXT
The conference tournament Final Four in eight days.