The No. 22-ranked Ashland University women's soccer team recorded its fourth straight clean sheet and scored five goals on the way to a 5-0 win over Purdue Northwest on Sunday (Sept. 23) afternoon at Ferguson Field.
The Eagles (7-0-2, 2-0 GLIAC) have not allowed a goal in their last 399 minutes and lowered their goals against average to 0.32 on the season.
It is the first time since 2015 the Eagles have opened the season with a nine-game unbeaten run. They were 9-0 to start that season.
On Sunday, Ashland did not allow Purdue Northwest (2-7, 0-3 GLIAC) to take a shot as the Eagles had a 23-0 advantage in that category. AU had a 10-1 lead in corner kicks.
The Eagles got on the board in the fourth minute as a pair of freshmen combined on a goal. Tori Baker sent in a corner kick and Makenzie Kelly glanced down a header at the back post. Kelly now has two goals and Baker registered her second assist.
Just five minutes before halftime, sophomore Hillary Mihalik scored on a high-arcing shot from well outside the penalty area to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Freshman Brianna Fourman had her first assist of the season on the play and it was Mihalik's first goal
The Eagles' attacking display continued in the second half as freshman Bella Petrock scored from outside the area with a low shot that took a deflection off a PNW defender into the goal. It was Petrock's first career goal.
In the 67th minute, the Eagles won a corner kick and redshirt-junior Sydney Wright took control of the second ball. She laid off a pass for junior Emily Ledbetter, who struck a shot into the right side of the goal. Ledbetter now has two goals and Wright has two assists.
Seven minutes from full-time, Mihalik's corner kick found the head of senior Leanne Prandi, who powered her shot past PNW keeper Kelley Sharp for her first goal of the season.
Sophomore keeper Abby Lampe remained perfect on the season in securing her second clean sheet of the week. She did not need to make a save while Sharp stopped 11 shots.
The AU win sets up a Top 25 matchup as the Eagles take on No. 17 Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich. on Friday at 4 p.m.
AU
WSOC/BB