NORTH CANTON, OH: Walsh Cavalier Women's Soccer played tough last week as they had two tough opponents in the then ranked 15th team in the country, Ashland, and then a rivalry match vs Malone. The Cavs would eventually fall to the Eagles, 2-1 but then tied vs the Pioneers, which was the first tie of the season for the Women. With three games to play, the Cavs are 6th in the G-MAC standings with a 4 point lead on Malone. Six teams make the conference tournament.
Against Ashland, the Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute. Walsh responded in the 34th minute when
Paityn Marino scored off an assist from
Jamie Duskey, tying the game at 1-1 heading into halftime.
The game changed after the break as Ashland put more pressure on the Walsh defense. The Eagles recorded 12 shots in the second half, while Walsh did not record a shot during the final 45 minutes.
O'Malley Quinlan made three second-half saves to keep the game close. Ashland took back the lead in the 72nd minute when Adi Turnbaugh scored to make it 2-1. Walsh tried to find another equalizer, but Ashland held on through the final whistle. Ashland finished with a 14-2 advantage in total shots and a 13-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Vs the Pioneers, The Cavaliers controlled much of the match and finished with a large advantage in shots, but both teams scored once in the second half. Walsh created most of the opportunities in the opening half, out shooting Malone 10-4. Katie Norris put a shot on goal in the 19th minute, while Paityn Marino had five first-half shots. O'Malley Quinlan made two saves to keep the game scoreless going into halftime.
The Cavaliers continued attacking after the break and finally broke through in the 60th minute. Paityn Marino scored off an assist from Katie Norris to give Walsh a 1-0 lead. Malone answered in the 67th minute when Jojo Knight scored to tie the game at 1-1. Walsh kept applying pressure for the rest of the match. Kate Young, Kailey Hobart, Corinne Casenhiser, and Mackenzie Culler all put shots on goal in the second half, but the Cavaliers could not find a second goal. Walsh finished with a 29-7 advantage in total shots, including a 19-3 advantage in the second half. The Cavaliers also held a 10-3 advantage in corner kicks and put seven shots on goal compared to three for Malone.
The Maroon and Gold will stay home for their next match on Thursday, October 22nd at 3:00 p.m., when they take on the University of Findlay at Larry Staudt Field.
