ASHLAND, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's soccer team traveled to Ashland on Saturday to take on the nationally ranked #16 Eagles, walking away with a hard-fought 1-0 loss. Ashland showed exactly why they've earned that ranking, limiting the Storm's scoring chances and earning their seventh shutout of the season. With the loss, Lake Erie drops to 4-2-3 in the G-MAC, marking their first road defeat of the year and slipping to sixth place in the conference standings.
Game Recap
Lake Erie's offense couldn't find much rhythm early, with chances coming few and far between. Forced to play on their heels for much of the first 45 minutes, the Storm's defense dug in and held firm. Facing an Ashland attack that averaged over 22 shots through their first six conference games, Lake Erie's team defense was outstanding—holding the Eagles scoreless and to just two shots in the half. Still, those two were two more than the Storm could manage, sending both teams into the break with plenty to be proud of and plenty to fix.
Just 10 seconds into the second half, Lake Erie nearly had its moment of the season—rushing downfield and forcing a save from Ashland's keeper on their first shot of the game. But the Eagles quickly settled in, and 11 minutes later found the back of the net for what would stand as the game's lone goal. The Storm pushed hard late, firing off two shots in the final eight minutes, but Ashland's defense held strong to escape with the win.
The Matchup
After a 1-1 tie in the programs' first-ever meeting back in 2009, the Eagles had won 17 straight entering tonight's game. Last year in Painesville, Ashland came away with a 2-0 victory. The recent history hasn't been kind to the Storm—the past seven meetings had all been decided by more than one goal, with Ashland holding a +25 goal differential in that stretch heading into tonight.
Looking Ahead
With five games left on the schedule (home, home, away, away, home), Lake Erie will look to keep their strong season going and make a push for their first G-MAC Tournament appearance since 2017. That effort continues Thursday, October 23rd, with a 7 p.m. home matchup against Tiffin (3-8-2). The Dragons fell 7-0 to this same Ashland team a month ago, yet just improbably beat #23 ranked Cedarville today, a squad that the Storm lost to 1-0 on Thursday.
Tiffin ranks last in the conference in goals scored this season, with only five through 13 games from five different players. Still, their defense has been better than their record shows, sitting middle of the pack in goals allowed despite facing a conference-high 219 shots. Since switching goalkeepers four games into the season, sophomore Aubree Lee has been sharp, posting an 87.2% save rate—the second-best in the G-MAC.
