Michigan State University
0-0-1
Niagara
0-0-1
Women's Soccer Opens Season With Draw Friday
8/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's soccer team opened its 2016 season on Friday by tying Niagara, 0-0, at DeMartin Stadium. Michigan State goalkeeper Kaitlyn Collin made 10 saves in her first-career start. It was an aggressive first half while both teams drew a large number of fouls, Niagara with eight and Michigan State with four.
"The first half was very, very sluggish from both the experienced players and some of the new players working through their nerves," remarked head coach Tom Saxton. "I will challenge them as individuals to bring a little more confidence and composure, and as a team we just have to know we have to take the game to the opponent right away."
The Spartans began to capitalize in the second half of play as they earned three corner kicks but were still unable to capitalize in regulation.
During the first overtime spurt, Michigan State's defense prevailed and did not allow one shot from Niagara. Senior Jamie Cheslik had one last opportunity in the final seconds of the first overtime but her shot went wide to force a second and final overtime.
"If there is any silver lining, I think we put pressure on them at the end and tried to finish the game in overtime but we just couldn't get the ball over the line," stated Saxton. "It gives us a lot to work on because Baylor is going to come in here and give us quite a challenge on Sunday."
The Spartans manufactured perhaps their best scoring chances of the game in the second overtime. The first of which came two minutes into the final session when freshman Hannah Jones took a perfect pass inside the six, but Niagara goalkeeper van Nuland came out and smothered the shot. In the closing minutes, freshman Sadie Misiewicz's shot from approximately 10 yards out on the right side just sailed wide left of the net.
"Well I know we are all disappointed we didn't get a victory in our opener but I thought we grew within the game," remarked Saxton. "We had a lot of young players out there and a lot of upperclassmen that don't have a lot of experience in full college games so within the game we had to take baby steps. Overall it is a good group and we have good leaders and even though we struggled a bit early we did keep fighting and stayed in the moment. I think that is definitely something we can build on."
Michigan State will host Baylor on Sunday at 1 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.
