The Kalamazoo women's soccer team hit the road for its 2022 season opener on Thursday evening (Sept. 1) against Ohio Wesleyan. Being played in Delaware, Ohio, at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex, the Hornets and Battling Bishops finished in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes of play.
Both teams scored their goals in the first half as the game got off to a quick start. OWU struck first as Avery Maxeiner got ahold of a misplayed header on the box off a corner kick and put it in the back of the net in the 11th minute. However, Kalamazoo quickly responded less than a minute later, with Cassidy Short scoring her first goal of the season unassisted. The Battling Bishop defense could not clear the ball, and Short struck the ball from 10 yards out for a goal. The Hornets created chances later in the half, but the score remained tied at one at halftime.
"It was good to see our first real opposition of the season, and I was proud of our group's effort, especially late in the game," said Head Coach Bryan Goyings. After we gave up the first goal in the first half, I thought our response was excellent. We were able to create opportunities in the second part of the first half and were unfortunate not to find another goal."
The second half was a defensive battle as both teams could only muster up four shots on the net in the final 45 minutes. Coach Goyings was proud of his defensive unit stating, "Defensively, Maddie Coffman and Anni Schnell were excellent, really keeping things together for us late in the game when we had to deal with some consistent pressure. Sydney Hagaman also contributed some strong minutes on the midfield, playing some of the best soccer I have seen from her."
Lexi Nesbitt (0-0-1) got the start in goal for the first game of the season, finishing with four saves on five opportunities. As a team, Kalamazoo outshot Ohio Wesleyan 15-13 for the game, but OWU collected more saves (8-1), corner kicks (5-2), and fouls (10-8).
"Today was a good starting point, and I am looking forward to seeing what this group can achieve with continued development," commented Coach Goyings.
Kalamazoo will be back in action for its home opener on Saturday (Sept. 3) against Millikin, with kick-off scheduled for 11 a.m. at MacKenzie Field.