When nothing seems to be going right on the field, it can be difficult to find motivation to compete. The women's soccer team hasn't recorded a win since Sept. 3, but it continues to fight.
The Bulls (1-15-2, 0-8-2 Mid-American Conference) dropped two more matches over the weekend to extend their winless streak to 14. Ohio (6-7-4, 3-4-3 MAC) outlasted Buffalo in double overtime, 1-0. Akron (6-10-1, 4-5-1 MAC) dominated the Bulls in the second game, 3-0.
The Bulls battled Ohio on senior night and showed how much heart they had left. For 90 minutes, Buffalo hung in against the Bobcats and forced the game into overtime.
The Bulls defense shined throughout the match, led by a strong back line and great play from sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Quigley. It was only her second start of the season.
Ohio forced 13 corner kicks in the match, and Quigley made 11 saves to keep the Bulls in the match.
"Quigley stepped in after not having played for a while and did a great job," said head coach Michael Thomas. "Since about mid-season, the defense has done really well and has really turned [itself] into the backbone of this team."
The final second of the second overtime period produced the difference. Ohio lined up a corner kick with seconds remaining and converted on the ensuing kick as time expired.
It was a heartbreaking loss for Thomas and even more so for the senior women.
"Senior leadership on this team has been great and has kept the team together through a tough year," Thomas said. "Everybody wanted to go out and give a great effort for the seniors."
It was a sad ending for the six seniors as the clock hit zero. It was the last home game for Lindsey Bailey, Kristen Bailey, Nina Connell, Julie Dale, Courtney McHale and Martina Pettenuzzo.
Thomas refused to give up on his girls and vowed to improve down the team's final stretch and in the upcoming offseason.
"We've been trying to get better every game and more times than not we've done that," Thomas said. "We've played some good soccer, but we've struggled to close out games. We're hoping that we can learn some lessons on how to close out the 90 minutes, or in this case 110-minute game, before the season ends."
The Bulls were prepared to give a strong effort against Akron on Sunday afternoon after their heartbreaking double overtime loss on Friday.
The Zips, coming off their third win in a row, had the momentum going into the game and fought hard against Buffalo to earn a spot in the upcoming MAC tournament.
Buffalo, like it has done all season long, gave a valiant effort in the loss but couldn't finish scoring opportunities as it fell to Akron.
Despite the loss, the Bulls came out playing hard, and in the 16th minute, sophomore midfielder Shannon Fisher almost put one home from the six-yard box. Akron goalkeeper Michelle Smith, who played well in net for Akron, turned Fisher's shot away.
"I thought our girls started off very strong through the first half," Thomas said. "We had some great opportunities on shots and corner kicks to tuck one away, but [we] couldn't capitalize."
Senior midfielder Jordan Clark secured the victory for the Zips in the 79th minute, as she scored her second goal of the game to make it 3-0. The Bulls tried to prevent the goal but were penalized for their aggressive defense. The infraction gave Clark a free kick from 28 yards away, and she capitalized on the opportunity.
Freshman forward Karen McMahon had another great game with three shots, and she gave some legitimate offensive firepower.
"[McMahon] is a very skilled player who played great today, as she's done all season for us, and seems to get better every game," Thomas said. "Obviously no one likes to lose, but you have to stay positive and continue to get better as a team, especially when you're creating as many chances as we are."
The Bulls will get ready to travel to Kent State for their season finale on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
