2011-12
CONCORDIA NEWS
Posted by Zachary Johnston - Wed 09/08/2010 - [Women's Soccer]
Laura Beth Johnston
Laura Beth Johnston

(Sept. 8th, Ann Arbor) - The Lady Cardinals third game of the season was another exhibition game against the University of Michigan Dearborn's Club team. The Cardinals played UofM Dearborn this past Saturday and won the match 3-0. Head Coach Piotr Westwalewicz said "it was the best Concordia's looked in 3 season," so the Lady Cards had a lot to live up too.

The Lady Cards came out with a head of steam in the first half having 8 shots on goal within 15 minutes. One of those shots hit the cross bar and another hit the right goal post. The Cardinals ended the half with 13 shots on goal and even had a goal taken away at the 18:18 minute mark because of an offside's call. The Cardinal defense was superb once again in the first half only allowing 5 shots on goal. UofM Dearborn's Jen Morgan had a chance at the 24:41 minute mark, but goalie Jessica Braun (Ludington, MI) kept her streak of 0 goals allowed this season alive and came up with the save.

The score was 0-0 at the end of the first half.

The Cardinals came out fired up again in the second half having 5 shots on goal within the first 5 minutes, one even hit the cross bar again for the second time in the game. The Lady Cards continued the pressure and had four more tremendous attacks on goal. One at the 32:35 minute mark with a pass from Betty Budd (Willis, MI) and Monica Palushaj (Northville, MI) ahead to Laura Johnston (Ann Arbor, MI), but UofM Dearborn's keeper came up with a outstanding save of her own. The other three Cardinal attacks came from Paige Beracy (Ithaca, MI) at the 29:34 minute mark, Monica Palushaj at the 25:45 minute mark, and Lauren Harris (Ypsilanti, MI) at the 15:15 minute mark. Beracy's attack the goalie made a diving save, Palushaj's attack got by the goalie but UofM Dearborn's defender Ashley Baker made a sliding kick save, and Harris' attack also got scooped up by UofM Dearborn's keeper Jessica Tuggle. On the defensive side of the ball the Lady Cards' goalie Jessica Braun looked fantastic and stopped all 10 shots on the half.

The Cardinals had one final dazzling attack before the end of the second half and it came with 0:16 left on the clock. Paige Beracy found an opening and had a shot just outside the 18 yard line. The shot went up and looked on the money and it would have ended the game if UofM Dearborn's keeper Jessica Tuggle wouldn't have came up with another marvelous save.

At the end of regulation the score stayed at 0-0. The Cardinals had 30 shots on goal while UofM Dearborn had 17 shots on goal.

In OT it was Dearborn with the first shot on goal within the first 30 seconds however a great pass from Braun up to Beracy who sent the ball across midfield to Johnston on a break led to the lone goal of the game and a Cardinals VICTORY! Assistant Coach Ashley Gay had this to say after the game, "I thought we came out strong at the beginning of each half but were a little sluggish towards the middle of the halves. We finished strong though, and came out with another victory!"
 

Photo Taken by Diane Harris (mother of Cardinals Maggie Harris)
 
The Cardinals record stays at 1-0 on the season because of the exhibition game and their next match is this Saturday, Sept. 11th at 12:00pm, at Cornerstone University. Their next home match is Sept. 22nd at 4:00pm against Jackson Community College.