GV soccer’s first of two home games ends in a draw
GVL / Sydney Lim
Sep 6, 2022
The Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team held their home opener on Sept. 2 against the University of Central Missouri (UCM) as the match came to a close with a 2-2 draw.
Although both sides of the offense struggled to find a consistent rhythm, the Lakers would be the only team to score in the first half with eight total shot attempts. However, GVSU hounded the UCM Mules’ defense throughout and demonstrated aggressive offensive plays near the opponent’s goal.
GVSU’s first goal came from senior forward Kennedy Bearden about four minutes before the half (41:20) on an assist by fifth-year forward Kennedy Metzger.
“My strategy was to change the point of attack and switch the ball from side to side,” Metzger said. “With my assist, I couldn’t find the back of the net but I can always count on Kennedy to be there to put the ball to the back if I can’t.”
Sophomore goalkeeper Kendall Robertson, who played all 90 minutes in the UCM matchup, was able to fend off the Mules from scoring in the first half as the scoreboard read 1-0 in favor of the Lakers heading into the halftime break.
Just under nine minutes into the start of the second half, UCM was able to tie up the game 1-1 on a free kick attempt (53:49). The Mules’ offense would prove effective once more (69:20) as they were able to put the ball back into the net during a corner kick resulting in UCM taking a 1-2 lead.
However, the Lakers didn’t allow the momentum shift to dominate the rest of the match. GVSU found their groove and were able to tie the match back up 2-2 with a goal from Metzger (75:09) that was assisted by sophomore defender Stephanie Sturgeon and sophomore midfielder Ryann Fetty.
After the Lakers’ second and final goal of the entire match, defensive stops continued for both GVSU and the Mules as each side totaled four shot saves a piece. Though both opponents showcased stellar defense, each side struggled to stay out of the official’s attention as the Lakers raked in 10 fouls total, eight coming from the Mules.
Head Coach Katie Hultin commented on the overall outcome of the match, stating that the opponent’s defensive presence and overall athleticism both made it tough for the Lakers to find success when attacking UCM’s goal.
“I think this was a gritty performance from our entire team and we knew they were gonna come out hard,” Hultin said. “Good game, tough opponent. We will improve from here.”
With two home games within 48 hours of each other, Hultin said that fatigue and little time to prepare for Minnesota State University could be significant factors in the success of the Lakers on Sunday, Sept. 4.
“Sunday is gonna look a little bit different,” Hultin said. “They’re gonna have fresh legs and we are gonna be quite fatigued, so we’ll be rotating a lot of players in and we might see a different formation out there on the field, but we’re excited and ready for Sunday.”
While the Lakers will look to add another win to their record against Minnesota, GVSU currently stands at 2-0-1 overall on the season as they lead the GLIAC standings in first place.
