MILWAUKEE – Lauren Nidey posted her third shutout in the past four games and the Milwaukee women's soccer team battled Eastern Michigan to a 0-0 draw Thursday evening at Engelmann Stadium.
The Panthers (2-4-2) and Eagles (2-1-3) each had opportunities to find the scoreboard, but neither side was able to find a winner and had to settle for the scoreless battle.
"I think their team is difficult to play against," head coach
Kevin Boyd said. "They're a good team, and their goalkeeper was outstanding. Every air ball that was in her range she came and took – some that were out of her range she came and took. She's good, so quite impressed with her in the goal, and that was part of the factor of the day for sure. They are a difficult team to play against in terms of just the style that they play, and they have a lot of pace in multiple spots, so we had to be careful about our back space the whole day."
The first half was about as even as they come, with shots at 5-5 and corner kicks at 3-3. The Panthers had the best scoring chance of the opening 45 minutes but were held out of the net when EMU goalkeeper Ella Holland saved a penalty kick in the 37th minute – one of six she made on the night.
"We had the PK that we didn't put away, and normally you're going to expect to make it, but the keeper saved it, so again, credit to the goalkeeper," Boyd said. "We haven't really spent much time hitting PKs yet, so maybe that will go onto the list a little sooner than I was expecting."
The MKE offense stepped up in the second half, recording the first six shots of the period as well as a 12-2 advantage overall in the second half.
"I asked us to push a little harder and control the second half. I thought we did a pretty good job," Boyd said. "Twelve shots, I think, indicates that. We were getting in. We weren't getting great looks, and that's partially a credit to their defending, but also, we've got to work to, in a quicker fashion. I also think our movement in our final third is a little slow or nonexistent where we need to be making more of our diagonal runs and little passing movements to get free faster."
Emily Petring had some of the better looks for the Panthers but was turned away on a pair of shot attempts.
Abby O'Brien also had a quality header off a serve from
Ashlyn Derosier, but Holland was up to the task in the 72nd minute to keep it at 0-0.
The visitors appeared to have a goal in the 67th minute, but after review, it was determined a handball occurred in the box just prior to the score, so the play was waved off, and it remained 0-0. The Eagles had another in the net in the 78th minute, but the call on the field was offsides and was held up after a second review.
"For the whole, we don't like tying," Boyd said. "We always want to win, especially at home, but I thought looking at the second half in particular, I thought we played pretty well. I think we're moving in the right direction. We just need to start finding goals."
The defense has been good of late in front of Nidey, who made three saves in collecting her league-leading fourth clean sheet of the season.
"We're doing a better job," Boyd said of the defense. "We're making it awfully difficult for teams. We still have a couple things we need to correct, as tonight showed us. We just got to get a little sharper. I think we're doing a good job. I think the players that are out there are doing what we need them to and I liked what our midfield did today. I thought Roe (
Ashlyn Derosier), Abby (
Abby O'Brien), and Nat (
Natalie Zodrow) were very strong in the midfield, and I think that was a deciding piece."
For the game, the Panthers ended up with advantages of 17-7 in total shots, 6-3 in shots on goal, 6-4 in corner kicks, while winning the possession battle 54/46. Petring led the offense with four shots, while
Maya Wilson and Zodrow each had three.
Up next the Panthers will be off until Sept. 19, traveling to IU Indy to open Horizon League play. Game time against the Jaguars is set for 12 p.m. CT.
