Spartans and Eagles Play To Scoreless Draw

Sept. 17, 2006

YPSILANTI, Mich. - Michigan State's women's soccer team came inches away from the win multiple times on Sunday afternoon at Scicluna Field, but each time fate in the form of cold metal intervened. After 110 minutes of action, the Spartans had to settle for a 0-0 tie with intrastate rival Eastern Michigan.

Michigan State (4-3-1) fired two shots off the crossbar in the game and one off the post. Junior Maureen Pawlak (Novi, Mich./Novi) rattled a shot off the crossbar and sophomore Kristi Timar (Novi, Mich./Novi) and junior Erin Doan (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) hit the post.

The Spartans had many offensive opportunities, firing 23 shots, seven from Pawlak, forcing the Eagles' Monique Budani to make six stops in net. Freshman Lauren Hill (Northville, Mich./Northville) even broke free in the final minute of regulation, but Budani covered the ball 15 yards out before Hill could get a clear shot at the net.

Eastern Michigan took only nine shots, but forced junior keeper Nicole Galas (Sterling Heights, Mich./Bishop Foley) to make a few plays. Katie Lozar broke free in the first minute of overtime, entering the goalbox on the dribble. Galas dove for the ball feet first and the ball shot high off the end line, where the Spartans cleared it after a corner kick.

The Spartans kept the pressure on, taking three straight corners later in the overtime, but it was the Eagles who controlled pace for much of the second overtime, taking the first three shots in the period. The Spartans wrapped up the game with the final two shots, but couldn't dent the twine.

Galas made three saves in her third shutout effort in her last four starts. The junior has 15 career blankings to her credit, which is just 1.5 behind Sara Kloosterman (1997-2000) for second place in Spartan annals.

The Spartans will wrap up their road trip and start their Big Ten Conference season with a trip to State College, Pa. for a 7 p.m. Friday match with the NSCAA's ninth-ranked Penn State.