Women’s Soccer Faces Must-Win Situation Saturday

WEEKLY NOTES — WOMEN’S SOCCER — WEEK 11

DETROIT — Marygrove women’s soccer will head into the regular-season finale Saturday (Nov. 1) in a must-win situation after Indiana Tech topped Concordia, propeling the Warriors into the eighth and final playoff spot ahead of the Mustangs (2-14-1, 1-6-1 WHAC). Seniors Andrea Aznar, Kamry Miller, Emily Sauter, Kaitlyn Vigna and Cheyenne York will visit Grand Rapids hoping to continue their careers with a win when the Mustangs take on Aquinas at 12:30 p.m.

A LOOK AHEAD
Marygrove vs. #RV Aquinas College (10-2-5, 4-1-3 WHAC)
Date: Saturday, November 1
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: Aquinas Soccer Field – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Coverage: No in-game coverage available at the time of release.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Marygrove found the back of the net twice, but couldn’t stop Aquinas in a 4-2 defeat to put an end to last season on Nov. 2, 2013. Cheyenne York provided the assist on a goal by former Mustang Jessica Trimmer to tie it up late, 2-2, before Aquinas pulled away.

A LOOK AT AQUINAS
The Aquinas College Saints have put together a stellar 2014 campaign, holding opponents to 0.53 goals per game to post a 10-2-5 record overall and a 4-1-3 mark in the WHAC. Keeper Lindsay Armstrong has amassed eight shutouts by stopping over 88% of the shots she has faced on the year.

KEY TO VICTORY
Aquinas has settled for a total of five ties this season, three of which have come in WHAC play. With a tie out of the question, the Mustangs will need to counter with the speed of Cheyenne York, seeking an all-important early goal to attempt to move on to the playoffs.

A MUST WIN
The Mustangs were leapfrogged in the WHAC standings Saturday (Oct. 25) thanks to an Indiana Tech win over Concordia, 1-0. The Indiana Tech victory shifted the Mustangs into “must-win” mode, knowing they will need three points against Aquinas to have a shot at the playoffs.

COACH SCICLUNA’S CORNER
“We played a great â I repeat great â defensive game against Northwestern Ohio last week,” remarked first-year head coach Mario Scicluna. “The girls stuck to the gameplan and executed nicely against one of the nation’s top teams (NAIA No. 6), holding them to only two goals,” continued Scicluna. “After an unlucky result between other teams in conference play, we will now be forced to win-or-go-home Saturday (Nov.2 ) at Aquinas. Our girls are excited to play in what will already be a playoff atmosphere.”

A ROAD WIN IS NEVER EASY
Showcasing how difficult it is to win on the road, the Mustangs have went winless (0-16) away from the friendly pitch at Marygrove since posting a 3-1 win over St. Mary-of-the-Woods College on Sept. 21, 2013. The Mustangs have never won on the road in the WHAC, going 0-12-1 since joining the conference in 2012. The lone tie came in the program’s first WHAC contest on Sept. 29, 2012.

A PLAYOFF POSSIBILITY
Thanks to a tie against Lawrence Tech and a win over Indiana Tech, the Mustangs currently sit two points out of a playoff position with one game to play. To qualify for WHAC postseason play, teams must finish in the top eight at the end of the conference’s nine-game slate. The Mustangs will need a win at Aquinas, and help from other teams, if they want to make it back to the WHAC playoff scene. The Mustangs missed the playoffs last season after qualifying as the eighth and final seed at the end of their inaugural WHAC season (2012).

WATCH GAMES ON-DEMAND
The Mustang Sports Network streamed all home games this year via live video on marygrovemustangs.com/live. For the first time in program history, Marygrove communications brought you every home game live on the Mustang Sports Network with Jeremy Otto on the call. Want to relive the season’s highlights? Watch matches on-demand anytime by visiting marygrovemustangs.com/live.

WOMEN’S SOCCER CONTACT:Â Tim Johnston | 313-927-1419 |Â [emailÂ protected] /* */Â |Â @tjohnston56
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Category: Women's Soccer