Photo courtesy of ESU Athletics | UMKC Media Relations
Goal keeper Mackenzi Goen at an exhibition match against UMKC on Aug. 22.
Emporia State women’s soccer faced off against the University of Mary on Sept. 15 in Bismarck, ND. ESU struggled and fell short to the Marauders with the final score 3-0.
UMary scored the first goal of the match within the first 12 minutes, leaving the beginning score 1-0. The Hornets fought back, attempting two shots just before halftime. Freshman forward Avery Zimmerman attempted a shot at around 12:05 and Hadlie Lowe attempted one more right before the half. However, the Marauders did not let up and upped the score 2-0 going into the break.
After halftime, the Marauders managed to score their third goal against the Hornets, leaving the Hornets to not go home with a win Sunday afternoon.
Head coach Jane Grimely-Gunn noted that UMary clearly did their homework, having had the opportunity to scout Emporia’s first match of the weekend against Northern State University.
Despite this loss, Gunn feels hopeful. She discussed how fresh their team is and that they are improving each day. The athletes who started the match consisted of six freshmen, two sophomores and only three juniors.
Gunn understands that everyone is still learning and figuring things out as they go.
“It’s exciting, but it’s not perfect yet and we know we are capable of more,” Gunn said.
Although the Hornets did not bring home a win, Gunn said she saw some positives in the game that she believes will prepare them for the season ahead.
“On a brighter note, it was great to see some players step up today and make an impact off the bench, and being able to rotate will really help us looking towards our next game on Wednesday with such a quick turnaround,” said Gunn.
The ESU women’s soccer team will play their first match at home at 2 p.m. on Sept. 18 against Drury University. Gunn said she is excited to see how her team responds to this loss against UMary in the game.