Wright State soccer returns this season with the men’s team set for its home opener and the women’s team preparing for another home match. The women’s team took on Marshall, while the men’s team took on Bowling Green State.
Women’s soccer: Wright State University vs Marshall
WSU women’s soccer headed to Alumni Field for another home match against Marshall on Aug. 27. The ball kicked off at 7 p.m., starting an interesting high energy game.
In the first 10 minutes, WSU came out strong with three shots on goal, but none found the back of the net. Both teams went back and forth with good defensive play until Marshall scored off a corner kick to take a 1-0 lead. Not long after, Marshall added another goal off a rebound to make it 2-0. WSU kept pushing, but the score stayed the same while heading into half time.
Going into the second half, WSU was ready to fight back.
Early on, junior forward Ruby Dunlevy had a shot saved but stayed aggressive. Soon after, she scored off an assist from freshman striker Alea Cook to make it 2-1. The Raiders continued to play strong defense, allowing few shots the rest of the way, but could not score again and finished with a 2-1 loss.
Despite the loss, the team is aware of their issues and where they wish to improve. Dunlevy talked about this.
“I feel like we [work] really well as a team, but [there are] things we need to work on; we are a second half team, we need to be a full game team," Dunlevy said.
WSU will look to build on its second-half performance as the season continues.
Men’s soccer: WSU vs Bowling Green
The men’s soccer kicked off their home opener at Alumni Field against Bowling Green State University on Aug. 28. The 7 p.m. match promised to be an intense showdown.
The first half was competitive, with both teams creating multiple scoring chances and testing each goalkeeper. In minute 22, BGSU was able to take a shot on goal and make the score 1-0. During the half, the game stayed consistent and competitive with several fouls, yellow cards and multiple corner kicks while each team battled for control of the half.
As the second half began, WSU came out with high energy, taking multiple shots on goal. Despite their efforts, BGSU was able to add to the score, making it 3-0.
WSU continued to press and create opportunities, but were unable to find the back of the net. BGSU remained consistent and maintained control through the remainder of the half, leading to an ultimate loss for WSU.
Assistant coach Adam Maloney spoke on staying confident after a tough loss.
“We’ll talk to them, try to remain positive and then review some film, point out things we did well, maybe talk about some areas that we can sort out a little bit and be a little cleaner on. But we try to remain positive, both after the game and in-between training,” Maloney said.
Coming up for the teams
Despite the teams’ tough losses, this is only the beginning of the season. Both teams are confident in improving throughout the season and are willing to put in plenty of effort. Dunlevy discussed this on behalf of her team.
“I’m just happy to be back with everybody. I love being on the scene, I have so much fun with everybody and the people we play with. Sure, sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, but at the end of the day I love the girls and I love the environment,” Dunlevy said.
The teams will continue to practice and train for the next upcoming games.
Assistant Coach Chris Garcia for the men’s soccer team said, “I think we just keep going, and keep trying to play our playing style and just trying to get over mentally the loss and keep doing what we’re doing.”
The men’s next home game is set for Sept. 20 against Purdue Fort Wayne, while the women’s team will be up against Central Michigan University on Sept. 11.
