Michigan State University
Detroit Mercy
Women's Soccer Gets Past Detroit, 3-1
9/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 15, 2009
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EAST LANSING, Mich. -The Michigan State women's soccer team downed Detroit, 3-1, Tuesday (Sept. 15) afternoon at DeMartin Stadium and in the process, set the school record for longest home unbeaten streak at 16 games. MSU went 9-0-2 at home last season and they are a perfect 5-0 at DeMartin Stadium in 2009.
MSU improved to 5-0-1 on the year with the win while Detroit fell to 2-3-1.
"I thought we responded to some coaching points we made yesterday," said MSU head coach Tom Saxton. "I thought we did a better job of moving the ball, particularly out of the back. Credit to Detroit, they are well coached and have very good defensive organization. They collapsed on our two forwards and made it tough on us."
Kelsey Tait got MSU on the board first, scoring her first of the season in the 16th minute. Tait took a long pass from Hannah Peterson from 10 yards out and put the ball in the far side of the net for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Tait's first of her career.
Despite MSU outshooting the Titans, 9-0, late in the first half, Detroit was able to get on the board with its first shot of the game in the 36th minute. The Titan's Nina Carter took the ball from just outside the penalty area and from the right side, beat MSU goalkeeper Jill Flietstra with a ball that snuck inside the far post.
The goal was the first one given up by the Spartans at home this season and just the second in six games and 560:00 of play.
With under a minute to go in the first half, the Big Ten's leading scorer, Lauren Hill, struck to regain the lead for MSU. After a shot by Samantha Cook bounced off the crossbar, Hill scored her eighth of the season off the rebound with a header.
"She has been on a roll and we want to keep it that way," said Saxton. "Her goal today was an opportunistic one; she was in the right place and the right time and took advantage of the loose ball."
Hill entered the game as the Big Ten leader in goals and points and has scored in each of MSU's six games this season.
MSU continued to dominate the second half and in the 74th minute, another Spartan got their first career goal as Olivia Stander provided an insurance marker for the Green and White. After Hannah Peterson's shot was stopped in close, Stander took the rebound and put it home for her first collegiate goal and a 3-1 MSU advantage.
The Spartans ended the game with a 19-2 shot advantage.
"It was a goal of ours today to get more than 15 shots, so it was nice to exceed that and it was a good win," said Hill.
MSU will face a pair of MAC foes this weekend when they travel to Kent State (Sept. 18) on Friday and Eastern Michigan on Sunday (Sept. 20).
"We certainly pride ourselves on our strong home record and it's good to get some confidence before heading on the road this weekend," said Saxton.
