Thanks to a 3-1 win for the No. 15 Ashland University women's soccer team on Saturday (Oct. 4) vs. Malone at Ferguson Field, the Eagles have extended their lead atop the Great Midwest Athletic Conference table to five points over second-place Cedarville.
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"It wasn't our best, but anytime you get three points in a conference game, you take it," said Ashland head coach
Cayleb Paulino. "I think it's the first time in my career (here) that we've been down a goal and we've came back, so good to see the group battle.
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"We found ways today, and we're moving on."
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The Eagles improve to 8-2 overall and 6-0 in the Great Midwest following a seventh consecutive win overall and seventh in a row against the Pioneers (3-5-1, 2-4).
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An Eagle misplay led to the Pioneers scoring the game's first goal. Brynn Mowrer had the ball at the right side of the AU net, and tallied the bad angle goal to put Malone up in the 18
th minute. Aubree Mellana had the assist.
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Ashland knotted the contest in the 23rd minute when senior midfielder
Keira Erling's fourth goal on a rebound made it a 1-1 score.
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"Keira's been big for us coming off the bench," Paulino said. "We're relying on her to be a sparkplug for us."
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Senior forward
Dani Hicks picked up her seventh assist of the season, one of the top figures in NCAA Division II.
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Hicks then picked up her team-best ninth goal of 2025, also one of the best marks in the country, in the 28
th minute, unassisted, to put the Eagles on top of the first time at 2-1.
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In the second half, sophomore forward
Sofia Devine's fourth goal of the season came in unique fashion – as she curled her corner kick into the back of the Malone net for the game's final margin.
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"Teams are making things difficult for us," Paulino said. "It's good to not rely on one player."
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RECAPPING AU STATISTICAL DOMINATION
- Ashland out-shot Malone, 24-1, and took all of the game's 21 corner kicks.
- Saturday was Ashland's breast cancer awareness game.
NEXT UP
Back on the road on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. to take on Cedarville.
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