(Box Score) Goshen, IN — When the Goshen College women’s soccer team has won matches this year, it has shown a penchant for blowing out opponents.
Next up: Getting better at finishing off the close ones.
Goshen (2-6-1, 0-2) knocked off Franklin College by a 3-0 score at the Goshen College Soccer Complex Wednesday night, taking a total 31 shots on the evening and 17 on the Grizzlies’ goal. The win was the Leafs’ second of the season, joining the team’s 8-0 blasting of Calumet College on Sept. 4 (click here for related article).
Leafs' head coach Thavisith Mounsithiraj said Wednesday’s play was almost good enough to help him forget about the team’s recent one-goal losses to Mid-Central Conference foes Spring Arbor University (click here for article) and Huntington University (click here for article).
Almost.
“There is no question we need to do a better job of securing opportunities in closer games,” Mounsithiraj said. “Even tonight, we had many quality crosses from our outside mid which we didn’t take advantage of. This will continue to be one of our focuses as we prepare for our next match. We certainly needed this win after two close matches.”
An unrelenting attack against Franklin was not rewarded with a goal until the game’s 38th minute, when sophomore Kaylee Pichardo picked up a loose ball immediately in front of the Grizzlies’ net and tapped it past the end line for her fourth goal of the season. That sequence occurred after freshman Kat Luginbuhl fired a close-range shot at Franklin keeper Chelsea Parks, only for the ball to ricochet off Parks and into Pichardo’s path.
As the statistics would attest, the offensive push came early and often from Goshen, as Luginbuhl made certain of a scoring attempt just four minutes later. Taking a cross from freshman Bethany Yoder, Luginbuhl outraced a pursuing defender to the ball, slipping it past a charging Parks for a 2-0 lead heading into the intermission.
“Make no mistake, we played well tonight,” Mounsithiraj said. “My main goal tonight was to have a solid possession game and winning the majority of 50-50 balls. Our young people did a good job in giving our coaching staff the desired result.”
Mounsithiraj witnessed perhaps the most dominant possession game his team has displayed this season, as junior goalkeeper Emmy Gibson — recovering from assiduous work against both Spring Arbor and Huntington — was rarely involved. Gibson was credited with a generous three saves, while mostly serving as a drop option for Leafs’ defenders.
“I thought we were very organized in our attack by putting on a number of quality combinations from our middle third to the attacking third,” Mounsithiraj said. “Our defense got involved offensively early in the match, and that clearly makes a huge difference in our style. We wanted to put pressure on Franklin immediately and throughout, and we were able to do that.”
Senior Sara Groff finalized the night’s scoring with just under 30 minutes remaining, taking a pass from sophomore Liz Nafziger and lining up what would be a brilliant shot. Standing about 25 yards out, Groff sailed a bending ball into the upper right corner of the net, with little to nothing Franklin’s Parks could do about it.
As the game continued, Mounsithiraj emptied his bench, allowing all 20 available players to participate.
“We were able to give everyone quality minutes and gave our starters and the injured some needed recovery time,” Mounsithiraj said. “We have a very important conference game coming up Saturday with Grace. It has always been a very tight and fun match.”
Goshen will host Grace College at 5 p.m. Saturday – the first leg of a double-header. (The Leafs’ men’s squad will host Spring Arbor immediately following the women’s contest.) Goshen may have yet another opportunity to prove its worth in close affairs Saturday, as only four goals have separated the teams over the last five seasons.
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Freshman Yaneth Hernandez, sophomore Kaylee Pichardo