Central Michigan University
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Western Michigan
Chippewas' Effort Much Improved in 1-0 MAC Loss
9/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Certainly, a better result was desirable.
But the effort, two days after a 2-1 overtime loss, was admirable, something to build on, and something coach Peter McGahey and his Central Michigan women's soccer team hope is a good sign.
Aubrey Sudomier's unassisted goal in the 27th minute stood up Sunday as Western Michigan handed the Chippewas a 1-0 Mid-American Conference loss at the CMU Soccer Complex.
"It's the eternal conflicting message," said McGahey, whose team is 2-7-1 overall, 0-2-0 MAC. "The hard part is, the result is absolutely not what you want, but I was very pleased, and I think the team should be pleased, with the bounce-back performance from Friday both in terms of the energy that we brought, and the chances that we created."
It was the third consecutive win for Western, 8-2-0, 2-0-0, which is the defending MAC Tournament champion.
"I think that's a good Western team and I thought we played very well today," McGahey said. "Unlucky to not get a goal, but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. You always hope for a book that ends well. Sort of starts poorly but ends well. You sort of have that (with this weekend)."
The Chippewas dropped a 2-1 overtime decision on Friday in their MAC opener at home to Northern Illinois.
"There's probably some momentum and some things that we can take away from our performance (Sunday) that we can build on," McGahey said.
The Chippewas' next four games are all on the road, all against MAC teams, beginning on Friday, Oct. 3, at Ball State, which is 5-2-2, 1-1-0. CMU will play Miami, Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan during the four-game stretch. The Chippewas' next home match is Oct. 17 against Buffalo.
Miami is the defending MAC East champion, Eastern the defending West champ. Those two teams, along with Western and Ball State, comprised the semifinalists in the 2013 league tournament.
"The hill is still going to be steep," McGahey said, "but there are enough positives to carry away some momentum from this weekend.
"We've got to be able to cook the game at that temperature, at that intensity, more consistently. That fighting spirit, that determination, that Chippewas pride, I think is really what we have to take away."
The Broncos oushot the Chippewas, 19-8, and had eight corner kicks to the Chippewas' one on Sunday. Stephanie Herber made two saves in posting the shutout in goal for Western. CMU netminder Maddy Bunnell made four saves.
Heber, last week's MAC West defensive player of the week, is 5-0 and has yet to surrender a goal this season.
Samantha Maher, Emily Cooksey and Eliza Van de Kerkhove registered two shots apiece for CMU.
It's consistency of effort and intensity that the Chippewas will emphasize going forward, and getting that is a major step toward tangible on-field success," McGahey said.
"If you set things up consistently and sort of preach that consistency as a staff and as a team, the highs are never too high and the lows are never too low," he said. "We're going to keep doing the things that we're doing and that gives us an opportunity to continue to be successful without creating this massive change, or this massive wave.
"The reality is we're going to get back to work tomorrow, we're going to do the things that we do, and we're going to keep pushing forward in the way that is building for us. If you can keep digging those things out and grinding that stuff in that way, I think you're moving in the right direction."
