Sept. 26, 2010

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University women's soccer team fell behind early but freshman Katy Dolesh notched a pair of goals to help propel the RedHawks to their sixth straight win, a 4-3 victory over Buffalo Sunday afternoon at Miami Soccer Field. Miami (9-2, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) is now riding its longest winning streak since a seven-game spurt in 2002 while improving its all-time record against the Bulls (1-9, 0-2 MAC) to 12-1-2.

The first half was a back and forth affair as the Bulls struck first when Megan Abman gathered a pass from Lindsey Bailey just outside the box, turned and fired the ball over Miami senior keeper Rachelle Boff's (Naples, Fla.) head for a 1-0 lead just 4:16 into the match. The RedHawks answered quickly however, as Dolesh (South Euclid, Ohio) buried a cross from fellow freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) just inside the post in the 10th minute to even the match at 1-1.

Miami had two chances to make it 2-1 minutes later but UB's Ainsley Wheldon swallowed a rebound on the goal line before junior Giselle Mangal (Mississauga, Ont.) could poke it in and in the 19th minute junior Sarah Dessfelt's (Vellinge, Sweden) rocket nailed the crossbar. Mangal did give the `Hawks a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute, however, as she chested in a cross from sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) for her third score of the season. Kodiak now has a team-best eight assists on the year, one shy of tying Miami's single-season mark.

"I think that's the second time this year we've gotten down early and came back and got back in the game," head coach Bobby Kramig said. "I think this is a team of good, strong character, although I'm not sure it entirely showed today, but they don't panic, they don't get nervous, they stick to the plan and I was pleased to see us get the goal back and then take the lead. But that's when we need to put our foot on the accelerator and not flip on cruise control like we did."

The Bulls pulled even just over two minutes later when Taylor Thompson put in a rebound for her first goal of 2010. Boff made her lone save of the match on Buffalo's initial shot from distance but the rebound skied in the air, fell in front of the goal and Thompson was able to punch it in, knotting the contest at 2-2. The RedHawks answered again with less than a minute left in the opening half, as senior Julie Thompson (Glenview, Ill.) blasted home a ball in the box to again put Miami on top with her second tally of the season. Zakrzewski picked up her second helper of the match on the go-ahead goal as she crossed the ball into the box and it deflected off a Buffalo defender, setting up the easy shot for Thompson.

The RedHawks took their 3-2 lead into halftime despite dominating shots, 15-3, and corners, 6-1. Wheldon made five saves in the first 45 minutes to keep the Bulls within one.

Dolesh struck again for Miami in the 61st minute as she soared into the box and headed home a corner kick off the foot of Dessfelt to up the Red and White's advantage to two. Dolesh, who has three goals in her last two games, now has a team-best six goals on the year while recording her first multi-goal game. Dessfelt nabbed her fifth assist of the year on the play.

"Katy Dolesh has just been on fire. She's a tremendous athlete - great speed, very strong in the air, great jumper - and she's just deadly in front of the goal," Kramig said. "She's been outstanding and I'm very proud of her."

Buffalo would attempt to rally late as Shannon Algoe headed in a corner kick from Natasha Arana in the 89th minute to close the gap to one, but Dolesh's second goal proved to be the game-winner as the `Hawks held on for the 4-3 win.

Miami outshot UB, 21-5, for the match, including 13-4 in shots on goal, and had a 10-2 edge in corners. Wheldon finished with nine saves for the Bulls while Boff had just one.

"We're all about our standards and doing the things we want to do and it doesn't matter who you're playing out there. We have things we go into the game looking to do and trying to accomplish and we need to stick to those things and not play down to our competition," Kramig said. "I was very disappointed with that today."

The RedHawks look to keep their win streak going when they wrap up their six-game home stand next weekend by hosting defending MAC champion Central Michigan on Friday, Oct. 1 before welcoming Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 3.

--MURedHawks.com--