MILWAUKEE – Emily Petring scored the only goal of the night in the 65
th minute and the Milwaukee women's soccer team prevailed by a final score of 1-0 over Oakland Thursday evening from Engelmann Stadium.
In a defensive battle the entire 90 minutes, Petring picked off a goalkeeper clearance and did the rest, calmy finishing for her third goal of the season to send the Panthers (4-4-2, 2-0-0 Horizon League) past the Golden Grizzlies (1-6-1, 0-2-0 Horizon League).
"I was impressed with the energy Oakland brought to the game tonight," head coach
Kevin Boyd said. "I thought they were very full of energy and excitement, and they kind of set the tone early on with us and it was a battle for that first half. I thought the first 20 was just more of a slugfest than it was anything else."
The victory extends two long streaks for the MKE program. The team's unbeaten streak in regular-season Horizon League play has now hit 41 consecutive (33-0-8), while the head-to-head series with OU gets extended to 20 straight (15-0-5), dating all the way back to the 2003 campaign.
"I thought that as the first half went on, we started getting a little bit more of it," Boyd said. "And then the second half, I think we came out and put them under pressure and kept them under a sustained pressure. When you do that and you keep going at goal, eventually good things will happen. "
Petring played the hero role when she ran towards a backpass headed to the OU keeper, stealing the pass sent back out. She took two touches of her own and sent one to the far post, standing up as the game-winner at the 64:55 mark.
Lauren Nidey and the team defense did the rest all evening, allowing just five total shots over the 90 minutes to the visitors – with an impressive none on goal to help Nidey record her fifth shutout of the season.
"A hundred percent," Boyd said when asked if the defense is playing as well as it has all season. "And you look at
Maya Allen, who's inserted herself in that starting role. For her and
Emily Urban, Sadbh (Griffin), and
Payton Green … for all of our backs to get a shutout tonight with Lauren (Nidey), that is outstanding on their part."
The Panthers did put together more scoring opportunities in the second half and nearly had a second goal a few times.
Sadbh Griffin blasted a chance from distance in the 67
th minute, missing just wide. It was
Ashlyn Derosier connecting with
Maya Wilson in the 83
rd, seeing Wilson also miss inches wide.
The Panthers outshot the Grizz, 7-2, in the first half and only a spectacular save by the OU keeper kept it scoreless. In the 18
th minute
Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett put Derosier's corner kick on frame with a header. The keeper somehow got a hand on it, redirecting it off the post, spinning back into play.
"I don't know how it didn't go in, to be honest, but credit to the keeper on the save she made," Boyd said. "I thought the keeper had a very good night all the way around; she was quite good. Unlucky for Ashley on that one, but we ended up getting that one late in the second half and I thought our sets were pretty dangerous tonight. We just got to start putting them away."
Milwaukee also had a look just before intermission, with
Taylor Richards and Derosier both seeing close-range attempts get blocked by the defense right in front of goal in the 42
nd minute.
For the game, the Panthers ended up with advantage of 17-5 in total shots, 6-0 in shots on goal, and 6-1 in corner kicks in the match. Petring led the way with five shots, three of which were on goal.
Up next, the team welcomes Detroit Mercy to Engelmann Stadium Sunday. Game time against the Titans is set for 1 p.m.
