YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A pair of second-half goals from Kristina Karlof and Mallory McGuire and another shutout in net from Bella Hollenbach carried the Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Youngstown State Sunday afternoon at Farmers National Bank Field.
 
"It was a good win," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "I thought it was a better performance for us than Thursday [at Robert Morris] was in terms of the way we managed the game. It was 0-0 at the half, but we were playing well and then we played better in the second half. I think we made some good adjustments in terms of the way we that we were trying to attack them, and I felt like it was just a matter of time before we got a goal."
 
The Panthers (5-4-1, 2-0-0 Horizon League) broke open a scoreless game at the half with a strong performance after the break against the Penguins (2-8-0, 1-1-0 Horizon League). The victory extends two long unbeaten streaks for the program: the decision runs its unbeaten streak against YSU to 10 in a row at 8-0-2, while also helping the team reach 31 consecutive regular-season league matches without a loss, now 25-0-6 since September 15, 2022.
 
"I was really pleased with that second half," Boyd said. "When you think about it, that's the fourth half for us on the road this week and for us to dominate and really improve our game in that half is quite remarkable. So, a very good road trip for us. Two good wins on the road open conference play – six points and we're coming home and will be happy to be home next weekend for our next two games."
 
Hollenbach ended the day with three saves, marking her fourth consecutive scoreless appearance and third clean sheet of the campaign.
 
A defensive battle for the first 45 minutes, the MKE offense had eight of the 12 total shots in the contest at halftime, while certainly forcing the more dangerous of the opportunities.
 
One of them came early, but an impressive one-arm diving stop by the 'Guins keeper pushed a would-be goal from Zoey Pagels just wide, coming after Ellie Rebmann found Pagels in the box in the seventh minute.
 
It was Rebmann next, just missing out on the opener, sending a loose ball following a corner kick clanging off the crossbar in the 18^th minute.
 
The second half was more of the same, but Pagels was again denied on a superb effort off a header from a Rebmann serve in the 54^th minute.
 
Milwaukee finally broke through next, courtesy of Lola Wojcik's effort. She received a pass and created space in the box, sending a rocket on goal that turned into a penalty kick when the defender cleared the ball with her arm.
 
Karlof calmly stepped to the spot and buried the chance, giving her team the 1-0 advantage right at the 61:00 mark.
 
Wojcik had a good chance on a thru ball from Emily Petring in the 68^th minute, again tuned away by YSU's Maya Naimoli on the one-timer. The duo was back at it again in the 78^th minute, but Wojcik's header slipped just over the bar.
 
The visitors then put the game away in the 82^nd minute, with McGuire rocketing in a pass from Taylor Richards, after Richards had done well carrying a long ball down the sideline. McGuire's goal was her team-leading fourth of the season.
 
Hollenbach was tested late and came through with two big stops to keep the clean sheet intact. She made a quick stop of an on-target free kick that was sent her way in the 76^th minute and then closed it out in the 80^th minute when she jumped off her line to grab a shot in front from a good through ball by the Penguins.
 
For the day, Milwaukee rolled up advantages of 22-7 in shots (14-3 after intermission), 8-3 in shots on goal, and 3-1 in corner kicks, while also recording 62 percent of passion on the day. Five different players tied for the team lead with three shots apiece: Wojcik, McGuire, Pagels, Petring, and Natalie Zodrow.
 
Up next, the Panthers continue Horizon League play with a pair of home matches, starting with a game against Purdue Fort Wayne Thursday, set for a kickoff of 7 p.m. at Engelmann Stadium.