PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's soccer team battled against the Malone Pioneers on Saturday night, settling for a 1-1 draw. A win would've guaranteed the Storm a playoff spot in the G-MAC Tournament starting November 8th, but with updated conference standings after tonight, the Storm now control their own destiny. If they win any of their remaining three games—or tie two out of the three—they'll secure at least the sixth and final playoff seed. While it would take quite a bit of help around the conference, the Storm could still finish as high as second place behind only Ashland, earning a quarterfinal-round bye.
Game Recap
Malone's offense took the first two shots of the game, yet it was the Storm who struck first. Senior Leonie Witt lined up for a corner kick and delivered a beautiful ball into the box, where fellow senior Alyvia Sanom headed it home—Lake Erie's only goal of the night. The Storm carried their 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Pioneers wasted no time in the second half, creating a highlight of their own. After intercepting a Lake Erie pass, Malone connected on a sharp advance play and drew a foul inside the penalty area. They capitalized on the penalty kick, knotting the game at one-apiece with 40 minutes still to play.
Although six more shots were fired in the remainder of the match—three by each side—neither team could find the back of the net, and both settled for the 1-1 draw. While a win would've officially sent the Storm dancing, the result still keeps them in a strong position within the G-MAC standings.
The Matchup
Last year in Canton, the Storm pulled off a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a clutch goal from Leonie Witt. Historically, however, the Pioneers have had Lake Erie's number—the all-time series now sits at 4-8-4. Still, that marks real progress, as through the first ten meetings, the Storm were just 2-7-1 against Malone.
Looking Ahead
With three games remaining, Lake Erie hits the road this week to face Tiffin on Wednesday afternoon and Northwood next Saturday evening. Although the Storm just beat Tiffin this past Thursday 2-1—and the Dragons sit at 3-9-3 overall—they've found some late-season life. Tiffin recently defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, pulled off a major upset over #23 Cedarville, and just tied Ohio Dominican 0-0 today, hurting the Panthers' postseason hopes and indirectly helping secure Lake Erie's.
