The Spring Arbor University women's soccer team bounced back from a disappointing loss to the NAIA #9 ranked Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats on Saturday by chopping down the Huntington University Foresters 4-0 on the road in Huntington, Indiana yesterday.
In spite of controlling the match from the very beginning, Spring Arbor did not strike for the game's opening goal until the 27th minute of play, when senior Heidi Sharp nodded home a Kristin Abbott corner kick for her 10th goal of the season. Sharp leads the Mid Central Conference in goals scored this season, and has tallied three goals in four conference matches so far this season.
Spring Arbor went into the halftime intermission up 1-0 and with a 13-1 bulge in shots.
The second half was more of the same from the visiting Cougars, but SAU began to connect on some of their opportunities. Abbott played the set up role again in the 63rd minute when she beat a pair of HU markers on the line before sending a low cross through the Forester penalty area. Sophomore Jalese DeBiasi was there to meet the effort at the back post and slid the ball past the Forester goalkeeper for her third goal of the season.
Freshman Braydan Wiles continued her hot streak by adding the third Cougar marker in the 70th minute. Wiles got on the end of an Alyssa Curtis corner kick and headed the ball into the upper left corner of the net for her fifth goal of the season. Wiles has recorded at least a point in each of the Cougar's last six contests, and has scored at least one goal in four of SAU's last five matches.
Abbott would finish the scoring for the day herself when she got on the end of a cross in the 83rd minute and banged the ball to the left side of the goal with a left-footed volley for her fourth goal of the season. Abbott has notched three goals and three assists in four Mid Central Conference matches for SAU this season.
"It's nice to continue to get some solid goal scoring," noted SAU head coach Jason Crist. "If we can get healthy we should be right in the mix for the MCC title."
The Cougars played the match without the services of junior Rachel Sinkovitz and senior Becca Szopo. Sinkovitz normally starts in the defense, while Szopo is a regular starter in the midfield for SAU.
Spring Arbor outshot Huntington 27-3 on the afternoon and improves to 8-5-1 for the season and 3-1 in MCC loop play with the win. They will compete next against the Lancers of Grace College on Saturday at SAU. The match is scheduled to kick off at 1:00 p.m.
