Big wins for FC Pride and Lady Victory made for a good opening week in the Hoosier state
Friday: FC Pride 6 vs 0 Dayton Dutch Lions FC
FC Pride opened their season in convincing fashion, demolishing Dayton Dutch Lions by six goals. The first goal, saw Paige Miller opportunistically swoop on a long throw to beat the defense to the ball in the 13th minute. The second goal was also a defensive miscue as a pass back to the goalkeeper was intercepted, for Lizzy Chlystun to tap home from close range only six minutes later. It was 3–0 after Maddy Bellaver’s free kick from just outside the penalty arc slipped through the grasp of the DDL goalie in the second minute of first half stoppage time.
The second half saw a cross from the right wing dispatched by Lizzy Chlystun to make it 4–0 in the 54th minute. It was 5–0 a minute later as Gretchen Mallin chipped the ball back over the goalkeeper’s head after a miscue. The final goal came in the 69th minute and was right up the gut of the Dutch Lions defense and finished off by Paige Miller.
Saturday: Ambassadors Cleveland 2 vs 0 Columbus Eagles
The Cleveland club began their journey through the Ohio Valley Conference Eastern Division with a double header against the Eagles.
Ambassadors opened the scoring with an own goal in the ninth against their Ohio rivals. They followed up with another in the 26th minute from Megan Buckingham and that was the score going into the half-time break.
The home side got their third in the 52nd minute through Sam Wiehe and that was how it finished.
Joy Athletic 0 vs 2 Sioux Falls City FC
Despite a number of good chances for both sides, the two debutant clubs finished the first half of their first ever match scoreless.
Incisive runs down into the deep left wing-back spot eventually resulted in a penalty kick being awarded to the visitors, and it was dispatched by Kirsten Wetterstrom to put the South Dakotan side in the lead in the 65th minute. The match was sealed when Ellie Schock buried a shot across the keeper from the right corner of the box in the 82nd minute.
FC Dayton 0 vs 0 Cincinnati Sirens
FC Dayton made their debut in the WPSL with a goal-less draw against the more seasoned Sirens squad.
Sunday: Dayton Dutch Lions FC 2 vs Lady Victory FC 5
Lady Victory secured a comfortable victory with goals from Nicoletta Anuci, Makena Schlosser, Serena Barnett and Sarah Hiestand. Schlosser and Barnett also had assists, as did Becky Dean and Kelsi Carrico.
DDL’s new coach will hope for a better result next time out.
Cleveland Ambassadors 0 vs Columbus Eagles 1
And so the Ambassadors organization returned for their other side to take a crack at Columbus. In a tightly contested first half, Isabella Ginocchi’s blast past the Cleveland keeper from 30 yards out in the 22nd minute put the visitors ahead through half time.
Despite Cleveland having the majority of possession in the second half, it was Columbus that struck the crossbar in the 81st minute — albeit for no goal. In the end it was Ginocchi’s goal which deservedly settled matters, securing the Eagles a split in the double header against Ambassadors.
Chicago KICS 0 vs 0 Bavarian United
Bavarian United made the short trip from Milwaukee to Chicago but defenses held out and both teams claimed a clean sheet and a point.
Monday: Century United 2 vs 0 Beadling Soccer Club
An Allegheny County derby in Pennsylvania was the last game of the week as Beadling traveled from Bridgeville to Cool Springs.
Century United had the first chance in the 5th minute when a cross field diagonal was met on the right wing by an onrushing attacker but saved. Beadling then had their own chance in the 8th minute, but the scores remained blank. The home team went ahead in the 10th minute when Landy Mertz incepted a pass in central midfield and dribbled past the Beadling defense on the left before coolly slotting it past the keeper into the bottom right corner. Both sides had chances before half-time, and Beadling could have leveled it but for the superior reflexes of Century’s keeper, Madisyn Neundorfer, at full stretch in both the 20th minute and again in the 50th.
In the end, it was a set piece which put the game beyond the visitors as a volley by Jayden Sharpless, directly off a corner kick, made it 2–0 with 15 minutes left.
Upcoming schedule (home teams in bold):
Friday:
Quad Cities Rush vs KC Current II
Chicago Dutch Lions FC vs Chicago KICS
FC Milwaukee Torrent vs Bavarian United SC
Mankato United vs Joy Athletic Club
Saturday:
Iowa Raptors FC vs KC Current II
Beadling Soccer Club vs Ambassadors Cleveland
Rochester United vs MapleBrook Fury
Dayton Dutch Lions FC vs FC Dayton
Sunday:
Beadling Soccer Club vs Cleveland Ambassadors
Monday:
FC Milwaukee Torrent vs Midwest Select SA Muskrats
