Central Michigan University Athletics
Early Goal Dooms CMU Soccer Team
9/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Kylie Nylen scored minutes into the match Friday and Western Michigan made it stand up as the Broncos handed Central Michigan a 1-0 loss in the Chippewas' Mid-American Conference women's soccer opener at the WMU Soccer Complex.
The Chippewas (1-6-1) go to Northern Illinois for a MAC game at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Huskies (1-6-0) were scheduled to play Toledo Friday night in their MAC opener. Western is 4-2-2.
"The goal was a well-taken goal," CMU coach Peter McGahey said of Nylen's tally, which came at the 4-minute, 21-second mark. "That immediately puts you on your heels, makes the game really hard, and in the MAC the margin of error is really small.
"After the fifth minute we were chasing it. We chased it for the whole first half."
Western Michigan held an 18-7 edge in shots and a 3-2 advantage in corners. CMU goalkeeper Zoie Reed made four saves.
"Credit the team," McGahey said. "As bad as we chased the game in the first half, the resolve to not give away a second goal was pretty strong. We never let them do that. The second half we came out with a little bit more urgency and fight. That made the second half feel a little bit better."
It was CMU's fourth consecutive loss and it marked the third straight game the Chippewas have been shut out.
"I think there's a belief in our team that is very strong," McGahey said. "I think we have talent, quality. You show it some days and some days you don't. Today we did not show enough. The result was close and it was a competitive game, but I thought our performance needed to be, collectively, a little bit better."
