Cougars Open 2022 With Victory Over Huntington
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 1 | 1 |
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2 | 0 | 2 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Huntington | Cleary (MI) |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 14 (7) | 7 (5) |
| Saves | 3 | 6 |
| Fouls | 8 | 3 |
| Corner Kicks | 6 | 4 |
| Offsides | 0 | 0 |
(Howell, MI)-- The Cleary University Cougars women's soccer team opened up their 2022 campaign by hosting the Huntington University Foresters Tuesday afternoon at Lake Trust Stadium, and the Cougars started this season with a bang, as they earned a 2-1.
Cleary would be on the front foot right out of the gate, as Elena Strauss was sent a beautiful through ball to have a one-on-one with the Forester goalie, but was forced to shoot just wide of the net. Cleary would keep the pressure on, and earned three straight corner kicks, making Huntington pay on the third corner, as Elena Strauss stuck a foot out, popping the ball up and to the head of Shayne Krystyniak, who's header floated over the goalie and into the net for her first career goal. As both teams settled into the game, some chances were created by both teams, but nothing truly threatened either goalie. With seven minutes left until halftime, a Cleary throw in found April Gillespie, who kicked it back to a running Hailey Conine. Conine fired from distance and scored a golazo, beating the Forester goalie in the upper 90, and giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
Huntington would come out in the second half, and took control of the game, putting the Cougars on their back foot for most of the early goings of the half. That pressure paid off, as Huntington was able to score on a header off a corner kick to cut into the deficit, and making the score 2-1 in favor of the hosts. After a pair more of Forester corner kicks, the Cougars began to regain some composure, and were able to finish off the game without letting any more goals in.
"I'm really proud of the effort that we showed," said head coach Steve Horn. "We have some areas that we need to work on, but we also have a lot of positives to take from this game. The effort was there, and the ladies absolutely earned this win. I really cannot say how proud I am enough of this group for earning this victory."
Cleary used two goalies in the game, with Kara Donaldson picking up the victory, as she held the 2-0 lead at the break without seeing a shot on goal. Tara McGrath made 6 saves on 7 shots on goal. Shayne Krystyniak and Hailey Conine's goals were their firsts of the season, while Elena Strauss and April Gillespie's assists were their firsts of the season. Conine's goal will go down as a game-winning goal.
Huntington out shot Cleary 14-7, and earned more corners by a 6-4 margin. Cleary's goalies combined for 6 saves, while Huntington had 3 saves.
Cleary (1-0-0) will be on the road this weekend, as they travel to Kentucky for a pair of games. The first game will be against the Georgetown College Tigers on Saturday, August 27, with kickoff set for 1:00 PM.
