Freshman forward Kaitlyn Nimmer advances the ball against a Brandeis University (Mass.) junior defender Rachel Watler on Oct. 20. (Natalie Sandlow/Staff Photographer)
Emory University men’s and women’s soccer teams traveled to the University of Chicago in a University Athletic Association (UAA) matchup on Oct. 28. The women’s team left with a 1-1 tie, while the men’s nine-game unbeaten streak ended after a 1-0 loss.
Women’s soccer battles for draw
Emory entered the women’s matchup with an 8-4-4 overall and a 1-3-2 UAA record. The team piled on offensive pressure and took the first six shots of the game. They finally found a breakthrough in the 14th minute with a goal from senior midfielder Mia Han, which marked her fourth goal in three games.
“It definitely feels good to be on that streak and to be able to help my team out,” Han said. “But that stems from our goalkeeper to our defense, midfield, to forwards and who scores — it’s a whole team effort.”
Chicago sophomore forward Avery Gallucci equalized Han’s goal seconds before the end of the first half after finishing a rebound from a save by sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Garcia.
The second half remained evenly matched, with both teams each tallying 10 total shots and four shots on goal. In the 81st minute, Chicago received a penalty kick after a handball infringement, but Garcia heroically denied Chicago junior midfielder Stella El-Fishawy’s attempt from 12 yards.
“I hate practicing [penalty kicks] against her in practice because she’s so good at them,” Han said of Garcia. “She knows how to get in your head, and she exudes this confidence that makes us feel super secure … If we lost, I think that we would be out of the tournament, so it was a huge moment for us, and I honestly just had a gut feeling that she was going to save it.”
The Eagles head to No. 10 University of Rochester (N.Y.) next week in a must-win to keep their hopes of making the NCAA Division III tournament alive. They currently sit seventh in the UAA Standings.
Men’s soccer loses 1st game in UAA play
The No. 6 Eagles faced heavy pressure from No. 24 Chicago, the reigning Division III champions, throughout the first half. The Maroons registered nine shots, five of which were unable to find the target and three of which forced saves from senior goalkeeper Peter Wagner.
In the 36th minute, the Emory defense gave way as Chicago junior defender Jack Leuker placed a free kick from 20 yards out into the top right corner to give the Maroons the lead.
The Eagles did not leave Chicago without a fight, mustering three shots on goal in the second half. Freshman forward Lorenzo Avalos had the Eagles’ best chance to equalize when he made a cut toward the inside of the field and put a shot on frame, forcing the Chicago senior goalkeeper Will Boyes to make a nice save.
“Overall, we played incredibly well in the second half,” Assistant Coach Clayton Schmitt said. “We were probably a little bit unfortunate not to have gotten the tying goal.”
The team’s loss against Chicago was only their second loss of the season and their first in the conference. The defeat didn’t impact their standings in the UAA, as the Eagles had already clinched the program’s first UAA title in 11 years at home versus New York University last weekend. Nevertheless, Schmitt recognized that what ultimately gave the Maroons an extra competitive edge was their NCAA tournament qualification on the line.
“For Chicago’s case, we found someone that was really hungry and desperate to get a result, with them having had so many ties and, while they’ve had some results against some really good teams, hadn’t really found their footing in the UAA,” Schmitt said. “So I think for them, it was a kind of a do-or-die situation, and for us maybe … we were a little bit self-assured that this wasn’t as important to us as it was to them.”
Schmitt expressed that the team as a whole was still disappointed in the loss.
“I think we would all admit a little bit of dissatisfaction and feeling that ‘this was a very beatable Chicago team’ on the road, and that we missed out on an opportunity to keep that perfect slate in the UAA,” Schmitt said.
The Eagles travel to Rochester on Nov. 4 for their final game of the regular season. Schmitt noted that the Yellowjackets’ style of play will be a well-anticipated challenge.
“[Rochester] is probably the most difficult team to play against in terms of what we try to do and how we try to play versus a team that’s relying on very direct play, set pieces, likes to break up play with fouling, not afraid to be physical and make it hard for you to win and try to just take away whatever you do well,” Schmitt said. “They try to counterbalance that and make it a little bit of an ugly game. From that perspective, it’s a really good opportunity to sharpen our teeth before we head into the NCAA tournament after that.”
