Sept. 4, 2015
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – University of Notre Dame women’s soccer senior forward Anna Maria Gilbertson found the back of net in the first half and sophomore forward Meghan Doyle scored her first career goal in the second, but it wasn’t enough to put away Western Michigan on Friday as the teams played to a 2-2 tie at the WMU Soccer Complex in Kalamazoo.
The No. 6/4 Fighting Irish (4-0-1, 0-0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) saw plenty of scoring chances, blasting six shots on goal and outshooting the Broncos 21-3. But Western Michigan (2-1-1, 0-0-0 Mid-American Conference) made their chances count, connecting on both regulation shots on goal to force the extra periods.
Broncos forward Emma Kahn tallied two goals on the afternoon, firing equalizers in the 63rd and 80th minutes to keep Western Michigan in the contest.
The Irish and Broncos played much of the first 10 minutes in the midfield, managing just one Notre Dame shot between them. But the Irish pushed the tempo from then on, firing 10 more shots through the final 35 minutes while keeping Western Michigan off the stat sheet.
Notre Dame’s had two chances come early, as Gilbertson launched a rocket that clanged off the crossbar in the 15th minute, while midfielder Glory Williams poked a low shot that a sprawling Stephanie Heber denied in the 23rd minute.
Still, it took until the 41st minute for Notre Dame to break through, as Gilbertson fired a shot from the top of the box and buried it into the right corner of the net to put the Irish up by a goal.
The second half started slowly as well, but freshman forward Natalie Jacobs gave the Irish another scoring chance in the 57th minute with a three-yard shot that found the hands of Heber for the stop.
Kahn found her opening six minutes later to pull Western Michigan even, blasting an unassisted shot into the top corner to make it 1-1. But the Irish answered immediately as Doyle carried the ball downfield, juked a defender and poked in a shot from five yards to regain the lead for Notre Dame.
What looked like an insurance goal opportunity for the Irish quickly turned in the Broncos’ favor as a missed shot chance by sophomore midfielder Sabrina Flores allowed Western Michigan to flip the field. Bronco forward Olivia Vollmers got past the Irish back line and found Kahn from the right side to tap in the equalizer with five minutes remaining.
The Irish controlled the field during the overtime sessions, notching five shots and taking five of their nine corner kicks during the extra time, but it wasn’t enough to put the Irish over the top.
All three of Western Michigan’s shots came in the second half.
Gilbertson led the Irish with seven shots, including two on goal. Her first-half tally was her third of the season, good for the Irish team lead. Junior forward Kaleigh Olmsted recorded three shots, while Jacobs, Sabrina Flores, Sandra Yu, Taylor Klawunder and Doyle each snagged two.
Next up for the Irish will be a showdown with Michigan State (3-0-1, 0-0-0 Big Ten) at noon ET Sunday the DeMartin Soccer Complex in East Lansing, Michigan.
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#6/4 Notre Dame 2, Western Michigan 2 (2OT)
Sept. 4, 2015
Kalamazoo, Mich. (WMU Soccer Complex)
Notre Dame 1 1 0 0 – 2
Portland 0 2 0 0 – 2
ND 1. Anna Maria Gilbertson 3 (-) 40:31. WMU 1. Emma Kahn (-) 62:55. ND 2. Meghan Doyle 1 (-) 65:07. WMU 2. Emma Kahn (Olivia Vollmers) 79:48.
Total Shots: ND 21 (11-5-2-3), WMU 3 (0-3-0-0)
Shots on Goal: ND 6 (3-3-0-0), WMU 2 (0-2-0-0)
Saves: ND 0 (Lexi Nicholas 0 in 110:00), WMU 4 (Stephanie Heber 4 in 110:00)
Corner Kicks: ND 9 (3-1-3-2), WMU 0 (0-0-0-0)
Fouls: ND 5, WMU 1
Offsides: ND 3, WMU 1
Attendance: 450
Records: ND 4-0-1, WMU 2-1-1
Next for ND: at Michigan State, Noon (ET) Sunday in East Lansing, Michigan.
– Joanne Norell, Athletics Communications Assistant
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