Marshall Olympic sports wrap-up: Women's soccer opens year with 3-1 win over Ball State
MU Women’s soccer sharp in opener, win over Ball State, 3-1
HUNTINGTON. -- Freshman striker #32 Erin Simmons gave the Thundering Herd a goal and an assist in her first collegiate soccer match and helped Marshall’s women’s soccer team defeat Ball State 3-1 in the regular season opener Friday at Huntington High School.
“I thought the team played very well to start off the season,” said Marshall head coach Kevin Long. “We weren’t sure we had enough time to fix some of the holes that Longwood exploited in our exhibition, but the team did a great job through training this week, and I am thrilled to see them get to such a great start.”
Simmons provided the match-winning goal in the 28th minute when she made a nice finish after dribbling through the Cardinal defense. The freshman’s shot, bent toward the far post, went off Ball State goal-keeper Aubrey Buehler’s outstretched hand before clanking the inside iron and finding the back of the net to give Marshall a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Alyssa Cathey added to the Herd lead in the second half (56’) when senior Chelsey Maiden played her through on the left side and set up another great finish. Cathey added a few touches to Maiden’s pass before lifting her shot over Buehler and into the side netting.
Marshall (1-0) goal-keeper Lindsey Kerns was put to work over the ensuing 20 minutes, needing several clearances and close-range blocks from her defense to keep the lead at two.
“Ball State had a lot of weapons,” continued Long, “but I think our defense showed great strides from a week ago, and equally important, we were able to create outstanding chances on the offensive side of the ball.”
In the 70th minute, Ball State (0-1) scored off the foot of Shaniece Thorpe from inside the box. Aubrey Hauenstein had the assist.
Herd junior Lizzy Lemons answered for Marshall just 12 minutes later, playing a one-two from Simmons in the box and sliding a shot past Buehler to extend the lead back to two.
Kerns made three saves for the Herd, which out-shot Ball State 14-11 (10-7 in the second half).
Buehler made seven saves while allowing the three goals.
Pitt beats Marshall, 3-1, in men’s soccer exhibition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University men's soccer team concluded its 2012 preseason schedule on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 loss to the University of Pittsburgh at the Trace Fork Soccer Complex.
Following a scoreless opening period in which Marshall's starting 11 outshot the Pitt Panthers, 8-4, the Thundering Herd jumped out in front courtesy of a Cody Partyka header.
Junior midfielder Zach Hunter was credited with the assist after finding space to send the ball in from the left side for an awaiting Partyka to head home.
However, Pitt managed to net three goals in less than 10 minutes after Marshall unloaded its bench following the score.
he Panthers' Cory Werth bagged two of those, scoring the second and third goals for his team after a Marshall own goal had the game tied at 1-1. The Herd's freshman goalkeeper Bijan Gloston conceded all three goals, but was credited with two saves on the afternoon.
Saturday's loss makes it the second season in a row that Marshall has lost an exhibition match to Pitt following last preseason's 5-1 defeat to the Panthers in Pittsburgh.
The Herd went 0-1-1 this preseason after tying Rio Grande 2-2 last Wednesday and will now await the start of its regular season, which begins Friday night with a 7 p.m. match against Wright State at the Trace Fork Soccer Complex in Charleston.
"No excuses about the game, but we were obviously trying to look at a lot of players today," said Head Coach Bob Gray after the match.
"Either way, when you get a one goal lead you've got to be able to hold that lead. The reality is they were a better side than us today and we've got some things to work on before Friday's game, but overall I think the potential is there."
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White beats Green in first of two MU volleyball intra-squad scrimmages
HUNTINGTON – The Marshall volleyball team split up into two teams on Friday evening and went head-to-head against each other in the Green and White scrimmage.
Led by assistant coach Jorden Smith, the White team came back after losing the first set and ran away with the final three sets. Senior Katy Schad guided her team to the victory, knocking down a match-high 23 kills.
The Green team, coached by assistant coach Kim Martinez, had two players register double-digit kills as junior outside hitter Laura Der led the team with 14 kills and 11 digs, while former Marshall volleyball star Emily Sullivan returned to the court to swing down 12 kills.
The freshman class got their first taste of court experience in the annual preseason scrimmage. 6’3 middle blocker Lauren Legge posted seven kills for the White team, while middle blocker Jillian Shemanski accounted for two solo blocks and four block assists.
The Thundering Herd will play one final Green and White scrimmage on August 21 before opening up the season with the Thunder Invite on August 24-25. The scrimmage will be open to the public and be played in Gullickson Gym. Match time is set for 6:30 p.m.
Green Team
Laura Der
Andrea Booker
Katie Potts
Sacha Byous-McConnell
Emily Sullivan
Independence Jorji
Ali Suttles
Jillian Shemanski
Coach: Kim Martinez
White Team
Katy Schad
Sammie Bane
Dorothy Rahal
Lanti Cole
Lauren Legge
Hannah Bailey
Shaitece Trigg
Bailey D’Antoni
Sara Bailey
Coach: Jorden Smith
