PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- On Tuesday, the Lake Erie women's soccer team welcomed California (PA) for the first matchup in team history. The Storm played perhaps their most impressive game of the season, dishing out a healthy 3-1 loss to the visiting Vulcans. The Storm now move to 2-8-1 on the season.

Game Recap

Lake Erie played on its heels out of the gate, as Storm goalkeeper Morgan Vanmeter remarkably saved seven shots in just the opening 26 minutes, with two additional shots being off target. In the mean time, the Storm offense never picked up steam, attempting none of their own. The Vulcans were finally able to connect on their 10th shot in the 32nd minute, jumping out to a 1-0 lead. However, with 90 seconds left in the period, Leonie Witt answered with her fifth goal of the season, knotting the game at 1-1 as the teams entered halftime.

Witt's goal right before the break was instrumental in shaping how the women started the 2nd period. There was a new-found life in the offense, as the Storm controlled the flow and dictated how the game was played. Witt would find the net once again in the 68th minute on a penalty kick, giving the Storm their first lead of the night. For Witt, this goal tied her for the second-most goals of any player in the G-MAC this year. 

Alyvia Sanom attempted two shots-on-goal in the second period before converting in the 75th minute to all but seal the game for Lake Erie. Sanom has been a great addition to the Storm this year, as she consistently proves to be extremely aggressive out of her midfield position. There have been only two games this year where she hasn't fired off at least one shot. 

Morgan Vanmeter played extremely well out of goal, a fact which is backed by the stats in a big way. The G-MAC leader in saves entering the game logged a staggering 11 more in this one, shutting down the plethora of great looks the Vulcans had.

Looking Ahead

The Storm visit Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday before returning for a four-game home-stand, beginning with Cedarville on Saturday at 1pm. Kentucky Wesleyan was picked by the coaches to finish last in the G-MAC heading into the season but have proved to be much more formidable than anticipated, highlighted from their back-to-back wins earlier in the season against Tiffin and Ursuline, both by a score of 3-0. Looking further ahead towards Cedarville, their season has been going pretty much as expected, collecting a 5-2-1 record against conference opponents, good for third place in the G-MAC standings as it currently lies. They begin a difficult stretch of games for the Storm, as Northwood (6-0-5) and Ashland (#4 nationally) follow the Timberwolves on the schedule.