Three goals in a ten minute span late in the game sank the NAIA #25 Spring Arbor University women's soccer team Saturday as the Lady Cougars played host the NAIA #4 ranked Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. In spite of out-shooting the guests 16-13, SAU squandered a few glorious opportunities while the Blue Raiders proved to be razor sharp with their finishing.
Lindsey Wilson proved to be the sharper team out of the gate and capitalized on disorganization in the Spring Arbor back line in the ninth minute when Ida Gregersen slammed home Katy Gilmour's cross for the opening tally of the game. Spring Arbor was able to settle themselves from there however and played a strong remainder of the half. Each team finished the opening stanza with seven shots.
The second half saw Spring Arbor start much stronger, as they pushed the visitors back into their own third for extended periods and began to create some quality scoring chances. Freshman Taylor George (right - Flint, Michigan) was applying pressure to the Blue Raiders back line when she forced a turnover and popped the ball over the top of the LWC back four, springing Katie Sayler in behind the defense. Sayler calmly tucked the ball away and the game was even at the 49 minute mark.
The Cougars continued to pressure and create chances, forcing LWC netminder Carrie Revlett into several saves. George was back at it in the 70th minute of play as she took the shot that turned the momentum of the half, and of the game. After receiving a ball from junior Jamie Siedzik, George cut back and fired a low bullet to the lower left corner of the LWC net from the top of the 18 yard box. Revlett dove and got her fingertips to the ball, pushing it into the left upright of the goal. The ball came off the post and as Cougar attackers swarmed the area, Revlett pounced on the rebound on the goal line, thwarting the go-ahead opportunity.
The save seem to reinvigorate the guests, as five minutes later they pulled ahead on a highlight reel type finish off a corner kick. Spring Arbor would not go away however and just around a minute later sophomore Jenna Bigger found herself with an open net on the other end of the field after a Siedzik through ball. Bigger's effort went just wide of target however and Spring Arbor remained behind.
Lindsey Wilson was quick to capitalize on the Cougar's misfortune as they poured forward on a counter attack and finished a glorious diving header from the right flank in a quick transition, making the score 3-1.
The Cougars continued to claw forward and had one more golden chance to get back in the game in the 83rd minute of play as junior Cristi Dodge found herself one on one with Revlett from about eight yards away, but fired her chance right into the suprised goalkeeper's hands.
Lindsey Wilson added a little salt to the wound as they wrapped the game up with a goal in the 84th minute, again on a counter attack.
"I am really proud of our players," commented SAU head coach Jason Crist. "We play to win matches, and that's what we tried to do here today. We are not interested in preserving a result for the sake of appearance. We played to win the game and got beat straight up, I couldn't ask for anything more out of my players. The ladies gave great effort and were dominant at times against one of the premier women's soccer programs in the country. Unfortunately we did not make the most of the good chances that we created. They did, and the was the difference in this game. There just wasn't much between the two teams out there today, and I feel good about the group we have this year."
The Cougar's road won't get any easier, as they face off with Ohio Dominican University next, who was ranked as highly as #10 in the NAIA last season. Spring Arbor will face off with ODU next Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio.
