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Mihalek 9-13-24 WSOC at SVSU rotator
3
Winner Ashland ASH (1-1-0, 0-0-0)
0
Saginaw Valley SVSU (1-2-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Ashland ASH
(1-1-0, 0-0-0)
3
Final
0
Saginaw Valley SVSU
(1-2-0, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ashland ASH 2 1 3
Saginaw Valley SVSU 0 0 0

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Dusty Sloan, Ashland University Director of Athletic Communications

No. 16 AU Women Earn Initial 2024 Win At Cardinals

Continuing its early-season start in Michigan, Ashland University's No. 16-ranked women's soccer team earned its first win in 2024, 3-0, at Saginaw Valley State on Friday (Sept. 13) afternoon.
 
The Eagles improve to 1-1, and the Cardinals move to 1-2. Ashland now has won three in a row in the series.
 
"We had some time after Grand Valley to prepare and clean things up," said Ashland head coach Cayleb Paulino, who earned his 50th win guiding the Eagles on Friday (50-7-10, .821). "We had a little moxie about us. We capitalized on some goals early on."
 
Senior midfielder Merrik Mihalek potted the Eagles' first goal of the young campaign just 52 seconds in on a penalty kick, then junior forward Dani Hicks scored in the box shortly thereafter in the eighth minute to make it a 2-0 advantage.
 
The assist on Hicks' goal went to senior forward McKinley Mendenhall – her 26th as an Eagle, tying Kelsey McKernan and Emily Hallman for fourth place on the program's all-time list.
 
Mihalek then earned a brace, the second of her AU career, with a goal in the 74th minute. Freshman defender/midfielder Aubrey Steiner picked up the assist on the last tally, her first point as an Eagle.
 
"We challenged the group the last time. Our big-time players needed to step up in big moments," Paulino said. "The third one was off a set piece, and she willed herself to get a head on it."
 
ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
  • After shutting out 19 opponents in 2023, it didn't take long for AU to earn its first clean sheet of 2024. Senior goalkeeper Maddie Dolenga (first half, one save) and fifth-year goalkeeper Mackenzie Simon (second half, one save) combined for the blanking.
  • "We were able to play 32 players, and the keeper situation shouldn't be any different," Paulino said. "We're going to continue to build off of that."
  • Ashland out-shot SVSU 8-6, and had a wide 7-2 lead in corner kicks.
UP NEXT
The end of the three-game Michigan road swing to begin the new season on Sunday (Sept. 15) at 1 p.m. at Ferris State (1-0-2).
 
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