TicketsSept. 20, 2009
CINCINNATI - Erin MacDonald (St. Catharine's, Ont./West Park Secondary) dribbled around the University of Akron goalkeeper and scored the game-winning goal to lead the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team to a 2-1 non-conference win over the Zips at Gettler Stadium on a soggy Sunday afternoon.
Akron (2-3-1) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Britni Back navigated her way to the center of the penalty box and scored a low grounder in the right side of the net at the 15:20 mark of the first half. Cincinnati's (6-3-1) Emily Hebbeler (Park Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) shot a high ball into the far side of the goal off a corner kick with 24:40 remaining in the first period to tie the game, 1-1, going into halftime.
The Bearcats were outshot for the game, 14-13, including a 10-5 shot advantage by Akron in the second period, but MacDonald calmly struck the ball into the open net to give UC the win with 18:49 left in the game. It was the senior's first goal of 2009.
"We didn't play well at any facet of the game today but the positive is we were able to gut it out and find a way to win," said head coach Michelle Salmon. "I keep saying that about this team. Sometimes we don't always play pretty but we find ways to win."
"Erin MacDonald did what she does well," noted Salmon. "She high-pressures that back line and was able to snip a ball and really come up in a big moment. But the player of the game, in my opinion, was Andrea Kaminski (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville). The back line disconnected today and Andrea came up big in big moments. Without her today, I don't think we would have won."
Kaminski had eight saves and earned her fifth win in goal this season.
Cincinnati welcomes No. 14 Notre Dame to Gettler Stadium on Friday, Sept. 25, for a 7 p.m. BIG EAST Conference match.