ANGOLA, Ind. – A goal from sophomore Megan Davis was enough to send Adrian College home with a loss, as the Trine University women's soccer team came away with the 1-0 victory. The team remains unbeaten in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play improving to 2-0-1.
"This was another big result in conference for us," said head coach Gary Boughton, "Credit to the team on a quick turnaround from Saturday to get a win against a tough opponent today."
The win is also notable as the 33rd in Boughton's time at Trine, making him the winningest coach in the program's NCAA Division III history and the second winningest overall.
Both teams started the contest with a scoring opportunity. The Thunder went first when in just the fifth minute senior Veronica Ocampo fired a shot on goal, forcing a save from the opposition's goalkeeper. It would end up being one of only a few saves made by the Bulldogs, not for lack of effort from the home side. Adrian's defense did a good job of gumming up the penalty area and limiting shots, despite quality scoring chances.
"I thought we showed really good movement in our build up play, some of the best in a few games for us," continued Boughton, "We still need to find our way in the final third. If we do the little things there, the goals will come."
Adrian came up with their first shot in the tenth minute of play, a low roller in the center of the net, that sophomore Sophie Aschemeier easily captured. She would finish the game four saves, as her defense also came up big in front. The Thunder blocked five Bulldog shots in the contest.
The strong defensive efforts by both teams sent the game to intermission still tied at 0-0.
The second half progressed in much the same way, both teams would pressure but ultimately get turned aside by a strong defensive effort.
Finally, just after the 75-minute mark of the game, junior Olivia Argentieri threaded a pass through the center of the midfield, finding Davis at the top of the 18-yard box. She would turn and fire her shot into the upper right corner of the net, giving the team a 1-0 lead.
"When I got the ball from Liv, I knew I had a shot despite being outside the 18," explained Davis, "I couldn't have done it without my teammates setting me up."
The next ten minutes saw Adrian test the defense, as they pressured their way into a pair of good scoring chances. The first ended in a shot gone wide, the second by the final save of the day for Aschemeier. The Thunder controlled the ball for the final five minutes keeping it in the corner and securing the win.
Trine improves to 6-3-2 overall and 2-0-1 in MIAA play following the win. They will continue their home stand when they host Asbury University on Saturday, October 8. The 3 p.m. contest is set to be the team's senior day.
