Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Strike Early, Take MAC Victory
10/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
AKRON, Ohio - Eliza Van de Kerkhove scored less than two minutes in Friday, sparking the Central Michigan soccer team to a 3-0 Mid-American Conference victory over Akron.
The Chippewas are 3-1-1 in their last five games. They are 5-7-2 overall, 4-2-1 MAC. They play at Buffalo at noon on Sunday.
The Bulls, who took a 3-1 win over Toledo on Friday, are 8-5-2, 4-2-1, and are the defending MAC regular season and tournament champions. Akron is 5-9-1, 2-5.
"To come home with six (points) you have to get three first," CMU coach Peter McGahey said. "We accomplished that tonight. The resiliency we showed tonight, we can carry that in to Buffalo.
"It's a unique place to play, they're scapping, they're the defending double champions. We know we're going to be in for a good game and we need to draw on our character in order to have another good performance on Sunday."
Freshman Madison Pogarch and sophomore Meghan Sweeney also scored for the Chippewas, who outshot the Zips, 10-2, in the second half and held a 12-10 edge in shots for the game.
The Pogarch and Sweeney goals both came in the second half. It was the first of their respective careers.
"I really thought it was a testament to the character in the team," McGahey said of his squad's second-half performance. "They were able to apply some of the things we chatted about at halftime and showed some resiliency in the second half, grinded away and showed a commitment to sticking to it in the second half.
Van de Kerkhove's goal, which came at the 1-minute, 12-second mark, was her second of the season and it set the tone and give the Chippewas an early emotional boost.
"The women were prepared from the opening whistle," McGahey said, adding that the Chippewas had scouted a potential opening in the Zips defense, and the opportunity presented itself right away. "Eliza did a good job focusing on it during the week. Hats off to Eliza and the team for being ready for it right away.
"Tonight was (Akron's) Senior Day so their energy and their enthusiasm and how they responded was really quite good. I think it was an important push in the game to capitalize on that moment in the first half."
CMU freshman goalkeeper Zoie Reed made five saves in recording her fifth consecutive shutout. It was her sixth shutout of the season as she improved to 5-5-1.
"Akron played some really gritty soccer at times tonight," McGahey said. "She handled what she needed to handle really well."
