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By Molly McSweyn |
The No. 14-ranked women’s soccer team played their home opener on Merlo Field against No. 5 Stanford in front of another record-breaking crowd. The energy of 2,503 student fans backed them, but an error near midfield was the deciding factor in their 1-0 loss.
In the 29th minute the Pilots lost possession of the ball, and Stanford’s senior forward Chioma Ubogagu capitalized on the mistake. She dribbled downfield to slot in a goal past sophomore goalkeeper Hanna de Haan. An injury in the second half of the game led freshman Taylor Luty to replace Haan.
By working together against the Cardinal’s speed, the Pilots’s defenders blocked additional goal attempts. In the 53rd minute, Pilot defender Alyssa Edenstrom kept the score at 1-0 by clearing the ball from in front of the goal after Ubogagu side-stepped Luty and passed to Ryan Walker-Hartshorn, who had an open shot at the net.
Throughout the game, sophomore Danika Evans pressured Stanford’s defense, forcing the Cardinal’s goalkeeper to make two saves in the game’s second half. Although freshman midfielder Kaycie Young kept control of the centerfield, the Pilots had a difficult time disrupting Stanford’s defense, since Evans was the only player able to push back attack.
Head coach Garrett Smith said the players were a young team, and just need time to improve.
“Give us one more month,” he said, “Because that’s when we really have to start winning games.”
Molly McSweyn is a sports reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached by email at mcsweyn18@up.edu.
