2009

May 26, 2009

Marshall 0   Lakeview 1

          Marshall's season came to an end Tuesday night at the Marshall Soccer Complex with a first round district loss to Lakeview 1-0 in double overtime. The capacity crowd saw an exciting game that ended with Lakeview's freshman Lindsay Johnson scoring a low line drive shot with 5:54 left in the second overtime period. Lakeview came out very strong and took the action right at Marshall. Marshall was able to weather the storm and Emily Nielsen and Carly Weck each had opportunities but were turned away by the Lakeview keeper. Lakeview also had several chances but Kelsie Wood and the Marshall defense was able to hold them off to go into halftime 0-0. "Our girls were very excited to start the game and it took us a few minutes to get settled," said Coach Harkey. "We had some great chances on those two breakaways but their keeper was aggressive and forced us to hurry our shots. It was a typical tough, physical Marshall vs. Lakeview game."
          Early in the second half Grace Labrecque hit the post and Lakeview had several other opportunites but could not find the net. With 3 minutes left in regulation, Danielle Hicks hit the crossbar with a header after an excellent corner from Emily Nielsen. Lakeview also had a chance to end it early in the first overtime as Abby Labrecque's header on goal was cleared by Katie Slaght. In the second overtime Abby Labrecque won a ball at the center line and sent a long ball to Johnson who gathered it in, took couple of touches to her right, and drilled a low line drive from 20 yards to win it in dramatic fashion. "This was a classic. Both teams had chances and both teams played well. It was a fun game to watch. I am very proud of this team and what we have accomplished this season." Lakeview (14-4) moves on to play Gull Lake in the second round as Marshall ends its season at 12-8.   


  

May 22, 2009

Marshall 4   Jackson Western 0

          On a beautiful spring night Marshall celebrated parent's night with a convincing win against Jackson Western 4-0. For the second consecutive game, Marshall was clicking on all cylinders as they beat a good Western team to finish the regular season with two straight wins. After introducing all the parents before the start of the game, Marshall carried the high energy and excitement into the game as they pressured Western from the start. Twelve minutes into the game Emily Nielsen broke free and beat the keeper with a ball that ended in front of the goal. Mindi Winnie finished it off for an early 1-0 lead. Nine minutes later Danielle Hicks scored off the assist from Roni Ranville and Marshall took the 2-0 lead into halftime. ""We have a great bunch of parents and the girls really wanted to perform well for them", said Coach Harkey. "We used all that energy to our advantage in the first half."
          The second half was much of the same as Marshall continued to press the Western defense with 13 shots. With eleven minutes left Emily Nielsen tallied her second assist as Meg Dubois scored to make it 3-0 and one minute later Meg returned the favor and Emily rounded out the scoring for the final of 4-0. "We have played very well these last two games", said Harkey. "We worked in practice on getting back to making this a simple game and working more as a team. We have a very tough game against Lakeview in the first round of districts and we wanted to build some momentum going in." Marshall out shot Western 22 to 6 and Kelsie Wood and Courtney Gallihugh combined for the shut out in goal. Marshall finishes the regular season at 12-7.

JV Score

Marshall 1   Western 3

May 20, 2009

Marshall 4   Lakeshore 0

After three straight losses Marshall finally found its offensive punch to beat Lakeshore 4-0 in the 3rd and final round of the SMAC tournament. With the win Marshall finished in 7th place in the final tournament standings. After a scoreless first half Marshall exploded for four goals in the second half. Jordan Starring started it with four minutes gone in the second half after Katie Slaght won a ball on the endline and sent a nice ball across the goal where Jordan finished it cleanly. Five minutes later Emily Nielsen took a pass from Danielle Hicks and out ran the Lakeshore defense down the right side and crushed a ball past the Lakeshore keeper for the 2-0 lead. With twenty minutes left Courtney Gallihugh took one out of the air off Roni Ranville's corner to make it 3-0 and Katie Slaght finished the scoring by winning a ball from the keeper after the cross from Mindi Winnie. "It was nice to get back to finishing off our offensive chances", said Coach Harkey. "We continue to be creative and tonight we were able to string some passes together. It was very frustrating the past few games, to play well but not get the result. Tonight we got both."
Kelsie Wood had a good game in goal with 5 saves and Marshall's defense recorded its 8th shut out of the season. Marshall improves to 11-7.

JV Score

Marshall 9   Lakeshore 1

May 18, 2009

Marshall 1   Sturgis 2

          Marshall suffers its second consecutive very disappointing loss, 2-1 to SMAC East rival Sturgis, in the second round of the SMAC League tournament Monday night. For the second straight game, Marshall controlled most of the play but could not finish the job. Marshall again came out very aggressive and took the play right at Sturgis creating several opportunities early. Sturgis withstood the onslaught and with 11 minutes gone and on their first trip into the Marshall defensive zone Elizabeth Sutton dribbled around three Marshall defenders and placed a nice left-footed shot into the top right corner. Marshall took back control and again kept the ball in the Sturgis end for most of the first half allowing Sturgis only one other shot but still trailed at halftime 1-0. "That first goal was just poor defending on our part", said Coach Harkey. "To allow a player that many touches in the box just doesn't work. She hit a good shot but she never should have been in that situation. To be positive, we did respond well and went right back on the attack."
          The second half was even more Marshall. Time after time Marshall was able to create some great chances but time and time again they could not capitalize. Finally, at the 23:01 mark, Emily Nielesen fought her way through the Sturgis defense and hit a low screamer that the Sturgis keeper could not get to and Marshall had drawn even. "I thought at that point we would be able to finish this game off," said Harkey. "We had all the momentum and we continued to attack. We had 3 or 4 more chances right in front of goal but were just very unlucky." With 5:26 left in the game Sutton again won a ball in the box and eluded two Marshall defenders and again beat the keeper to the far corner. Marshall out shot Sturgis 10-2 in the second half and 16-4 for the game. "We have not had a favorable result these last few games but we are doing a lot of nice things out there, playing some very creative soccer, moving the ball around the field, and playing well together. I am very happy with our effort and our play. We are a very good team and hopefully we will start to get some breaks to go our way." Marshall's record now stands at 10-7.

JV Score

Marshall 3   Sturgis 1

Jonnin McCray led the way for Marshall with two goals.

May 13, 2009

Marshall 0   St Joe 2

          In a game that will be remembered by the Marshall fans for the more than ten offsides calls, Marshall falls to St Joe 2-0 in the first round of the SMAC tournament for their second straight loss. Marshall came out with a lot of energy and pressured St Joe early but for the second game in a row has trouble putting the ball in the net. Marshall controlled much of the play the entire game but couldn't overcome St Joe's sophomore Ellery Karsten who scored both St Joe goals. Although St Joe continued to catch Marshall offsides, Marshall had a number of good opportunties early. Marshall was also able to thwart the St Joe counter attacks as both teams came up empty in the first half. "I thought we were in a very good position at halftime," said Coach Harkey. "We played with a great deal of intensity and we had some good chances. I really thought we would win the second half."
          In the second half St Joe responded early with Karsten's 25 yard strike from outside the box that beat Kelsie Wood to the near post. Marshall held it together and responded with great pressure on the St Joe defense. St Joe again played the offsides on several ocassions but Marshall began to time its runs and had several great opportunities. Danielle Hicks hit the post. Emily Nielsen hit the side netting. Mindi Winnie missed a break away wide. Marshall continued the pressure with 4 corners in the latter part of the second half and all were denied by the St Joe defense. Marshall had a total of 10 corners, five in each half. "We worked on our set plays this week so when we lined up for those corners I had great confidence we would finish them." Karsten put the game out of reach with 3 minutes left with her second goal to secure the St Joe win. "I told the girls after the game that this is just one of those games where we couldn't get the breaks we needed. Although we did not get the result, we played well and we are looking forward to the next game." Marshall drops to 10-6 and will play the loser of Portage Central and Sturgis on Monday, May 18.

May 11, 2009

Marshall 1   Lumen Christi 2

          Marshall played well but Lumen Christi took advantage of two great opportunities and scored a 2-1 victory Monday evening at Jackson Community College. Lumen Christi won the toss and took the wind in the first half and was able to control much of the play. Lumen created several chances but Marshall's defense was up to the challenge. Marshall responded with several counter attacks and  had a number of chances to put up the first goal. The best run came midway through the first half when Marshall had three consecutive corner kicks. Emily Nielsen played some great balls into the box but Marshall couldn't find someone to finish them off. With 1:05 left in the half Lumen got its first real chance when Lumen got behind the Marshall defense down the right flank and Maureen Lefere finished a brilliant header into the back of the net. "Lumen is a very disciplined, organized squad", said Coach Harkey. "They have very good skills and they play the field well. But I thought we held it together that first half. That first goal was a fantastic goal. You just have to give them credit."
          Marshall had the wind and asserted itself more offensively in the second half. Marshall began to get through the Lumen defense but was unable to put enough together. With 20 minutes gone in the second half Lumen's Samantha Foust again beat the Marshall defense on the right and played a low hard ball across the goal mouth and Lumen was there for the 2-0 lead. "Our defense on the back side was slow to react and it cost us. It was another well earned goal by Lumen." With 8:28 left Lumen was called for a foul just outside the box and Emily sent one over the Lumen wall to the far corner to cut the lead to 2-1. Marshall again had 3 corners in the last 4 minutes but could not get the equalizer as Lumen holds on for the win. "The difference tonight was Lumen's will to get to the ball and score. They were very aggressive on their two goals." Both teams had five shots as well as 5 corners. Marshall's record is now 10-5.

May 8, 2009

Marshll 9   Onsted 0

Marshall wins easily 9-0 Friday night at Onsted. Emily Nielsen led the way with 2 goals and an assist. Jules Hinske(2), Mindi Winnie, Emily Townsend, Suzy Grant, Ashley Metzgar, and Courtney Gallihugh all scored for Marshall. Along with Nielsen, Metzgar(2), Carly Weck(2), Grant, and Jordan Starring were credited with assists. Marshall out shot Onsted 33-0 and moves to 10-4 on the season.

May 6, 2009

Marshall 2   Stevensville-Lakeshore 2 (Marshall wins shootout 3-2)

          In another thrilling come from behind victory Marshall beats Stevensville-Lakeshore in a shootout to move into fourth place in the tournament of 16 seedings. Despite the traditional mental letdown, after a tough loss to Portage Northern and a two hour bus ride, Marshall mounted an incredible late game charge to force overtime and then won the game 3-2 in a shootout after two scoreless overtime periods.
          Marshall came out very flat and uninspired as they watched Lakeshore take an early 2-0 lead. Lakeshore scored just seven minutes into the game and again at the 24 minute mark as Marshall's defense was non-existent in the box. Lakeshore completely dominated the play throughout the first half and Marshall was lucky to be only down 2-0. "That was just a very poor effort on our part", said Coach Harkey. "We had a chance to move into the top 4 of the league and we were just throwing it away. I thought we had become a more mature team than that and I challenged them to prove me wrong."
          Marshall came out in the second half with a much more determined effort. Eight minutes in Danielle Hicks took a pass from Emily Nielsen and chipped it in over the keeper's head for Marshall's first goal and it appeared that Marshall had found its game. Marshall continued to maintain much of the possession but struggled to find the goal. Shot after shot went wide and with the clock running down, it looked desperate as Lakeshore had a break away to goal. Kelsie Wood closed down the angle and made a great save and Jules Hinske cleared it off the line to preserve the 2-1 deficit. With just 20 seconds left in the game, and after a ball played forward by Andrea Pickelman, Emily Nielsen gathered herself in the box and beat the keeper for the equalizer.
          "I'm not sure how these girls did it but they got themselves back into the game after halftime, as they've done time and again this year, and found a way to force it to overtime." In the two overtime periods, Marshall created several chances to end the game but couldn't find the back of the net. The best coming from Roni Ranville's free kick from 30 yards out that hit the cross bar.
        So Marshall lined up for its second shootout of the season. Carly Weck and Danielle made their two attempts and both teams missed two. Lakeshore missed its final chance and Emily lined up for the game winner. "I made a mistake earlier in the season by not including Emily in our shootout lineup. I was not going to make that same mistake again", said Harkey. Emily calmly put it past the diving keeper to win in dramatic fashion. "They did in fact prove me wrong. This is a very experienced team and they now believe that they can win any game. Their confidence and belief in each other has carried us a long way. I thanked them for proving me wrong." Marshall is currently in fourth place in the league seedings and needs Portage Central and Portage Northern to win to finish as the fourth seed. Marshall is now 9-4. 

JV Score

Marshall 3   Lakeshore 0

Vicki Sell had 2 goals and Britney Kyser the 3rd as Marshall beats Lakeshore 3-0. Emily Peters had 2 assists and Samantha Corcoran had 1.
         

May 4, 2009

Marshall 0   Portage Northern 2

          In a game for the ages for the Marshall High School soccer program, Marshall came up just short against one of the top teams in the state on Monday night in the SMAC East/Central crossover game. In a rugged game mared by 3 Portage yellow cards and the expulsion of Marshall fans, Portage literally fought its way to a 2-0 victory and gained an all important two points towards the league tournament seedings. It was obvious from the start that Marshall was ready to play as their defense continually turned back the high powered Northern attack. With 20:45 left in the first half Northern finally broke the deadlock after a questionable call that gave Portage a free kick just outside the box. Sophomore Samantha Kay drilled a low drive around the Marshall defensive wall that beat Kelsie Wood to the far post and a 1-0 lead. Although Portage controlled much of the play early, Marshall had several chances late in the first half. The best chance came a few minutes later when Emily Nielsen broke free from the Husky defense and sent a shot off the top of the cross bar. The second came with 12 minutes left as Ashley Metzgar got behind the defense but was taken down by a Husky defender resulting in thefirst of two yellow cards for Portage. Marshall had two other great chances off two Emily corner kicks but could not penetrate through the Portage defense and the half ended 1-0. "We came out with a great deal of intensity and confidence and I thought we stepped up to the challenge of playing one of the top programs in the state", said Coach Harkey. "Our defense was outstanding and we did have a couple of great opportunities to draw level. We were able to match their speed and were able to shut down their explosive attack. It was disappointing to give up that free kick."
          The second half became very heated as Marshall matched the Husky's physical play. Neither team could penetrate the opposing defense and the game came down to a battle of wills. Portage was able to keep Marshall at bay for most of the second half until with about 20 minutes left when the referee stopped the match for 10 minutes to remove a handful of Marshall students from the premises. This seemed to spark what was already a tense physical game and Marshall picked up the pressure against the Northern defense. With 12:53 left a second Portage player was given a yellow card and Marshall tried to capitalize on its momentum. Mindi Winnie sent a shot just wide and Katie Slaght sent a rocket just over the bar for what would be Marshall's best chances. Emily Nielsen had one final chance but her shot fell harmlessly into the Portage keeper's hands. Northern's second goal came on a controversial call in the box on Emily after time had expired. Samantha Kay hit the PK low and hard for her second goal and the game ended 2-0 Portage. "I am very proud of this group of girls. They played with tremendous desire and fought tooth and nail against a great team. I asked them for two things today. To play with everything they had and to stick together. They did both with great passion and I thank them for that." Portage out shot Marshall 13 to 8 and had 7 corners to Marshall's 3. Kelsie Wood had 4 saves in goal. Marshall drops to 8-4.

JV Score

Marshall 2   Portage Northern 1

Marshall gets big win 2-1 against Portage. Jonni McCray scored the first goal off an assist from Vicki Sell. Emily Peters scored late in the first half on a penaly kick in what turned out to be the game winner. Portage scored late in the game for the final margin.

May 1, 2009

Marshall 4   Parchment 0

          In another dominating performance, Marshall scores a 4-0 non-conference win against Parchment in preparation for it's crossover match with traditional power Portage Northern on Monday, May 4th. Marshall completely shut down the Parchment attack by limiting them to 0 shots and hammered the Parchment goalkeeper with 39 shots of their own. From the very outset Marshall was the aggressor and Mindi Winnie struck first 10 minutes into the game from an assist from Andrea Pickelman. Ten minutes later Danielle Hicks hit a beautiful one timer off a corner kick from Emily Nielsen. and drilled it into the upper right corner for a 2-0 lead that held until the half. "We completely controlled the game from the very beginning and had numerous chances," said Coach Harkey. "I would like to have seen a few more finishes but I will not complain about the way we played."
          Freshman Katie Slaght started the second half scoring 9 minutes in as Danielle laid the ball off and Katie carried it forward. When no defender stepped out Katie unleashed a rocket from 25 yards that the keeper had no chance of stopping. With 27 minutes left in the game Carly Weck completed the scoring off an assist from Emily. "We have played exceptional soccer these last three games", said Harkey. "The girls are really looking for each other and we have a very good chemistry right now. Monday will be a huge test for us as Northern comes to Marshall. We are all looking forward to the challenge." Andrea, Morgan Long, Roni Ranville, and Jules Hinske played very well on defense and Kelsie Wood gets credit for the shut out, Marshall' sixth of the year. Marshall improves to 8-3 on the season. 

JV Score

Marshall 6    Loy Norrix 0

Marshall plays a solid game in 6-0 victory over Loy Norrix. Carson Tobias led the way with 2 goals. Also scoring for Marshall was Jonni McCray, Emily Peters, Vicki Sell, and Caitlin Forgash. Getting credit for an assist was Emily(2), Jonni, Vicki, Katie Holland, and Samantha Corcoran.

April 29, 2009

Marshall 6   Coldwater 0

          Marshall clinches second place in the SMAC East with a convincing 6-0 win at Coldwater on Wednesday night. Marshall started slow but again showed a renewed offensive attack to beat a much improved Coldwater team. Mindi Winnie drilled her first goal past the keeper for the first of her two goals 22 minutes into the game after a beautiful through ball from Carly Weck. Seven minutes later, after a pass from Emily Nielsen, Danielle Hicks had a nice left footed chip that just eluded the keeper's reach for a 2-0 lead. With 5:54 left in the first half Mindi Winnie got her second goal to go into halftime with a 3-0 lead. "As you can see from our stats, our front players are really playing well together", said Coach Harkey. "We have spent a lot of time in practice at being creative and they are putting together some nice combinations and putting a lot of pressure on  opposing defenses."
          It became the Carly Weck show in the second half as Carly scored all three goals for Marshall. Just 5 minutes into the half Mindi played a low hard ball across the goal and Carly put it nicely past the keeper to make it
4-0. Two minutes later Carly was at it again after Emily's second assist and with 28 minutes to go Carly was tripped in the penalty box. Carly then converted the penalty shot to finish the scoring. "The first 15 minutes of the second half was very impressive", said Harkey. "We talked at halftime about keeping it a simple game. We moved the ball forward and attacked very quickly and continued to create different opportunities." Marshall out shot Coldwater 30 to 2 and had 8 corners while being called for 17 fouls. Kelsie Wood and Courtney Gallihugh split time in goal and recorded the team's 5th shut out. Marshall improves to 7-3 overall and finishes second in the SMAC East at 3-1. In the crossover games, Marshall will play Portage Northern at home on Monday and will play at Stevensville-Lakeshore on Wednesday. 

April 27, 2009

Marshall 4   Harper Creek 1

          Emily Nielsen led Marshall in this key SMAC East battle by scoring 2 goals and getting 2 assists as Marshall beat Harper Creek 4-1 on Monday evening to take control of second place. Harper Creek came out fired up and took advantage of their early momentum as Courtney Hughes hit a beautiful shot into the upper corner of the goal just 3 minutes into the game. Harper Creek continued to press forward until Emily Nielsen scored her first goal off an assist from Carly Weck with 27:05 left in the first half. Marshall began to take control but could not find the back of the net for the rest of the half. "We came out a little flat but I think it was more that Harper came out very eager to play", said Coach Harkey. "But to our credit we just continued to play our game after that first goal."
          Marshall regrouped at halftime and Roni Ranville scored her first goal of the season off a corner kick from Emily Nielsen 57 seconds into the second half. Marshall began to control most of the play and Emily scored her second goal after beating three Harper Creek defenders for a 3-1 lead. "We are really learning how to play some effective soccer", said Harkey. "The girls are looking for each other and are making very creative decisons. Our defense has settled in nicely in our new 3 back formation. They are a fun team to watch." Carly Weck finished off the scoring with 18:52 left on a rebound off Emily's shot that was stopped by the Harper keeper. Marshall out shot Harper 14 to 4 and had 5 corners. Marshall is now in sole possession of second place in the SMAC East with a 2-1 record and is 6-3 overall.

April 22, 2009

Marshall 0   Lakeview 2

          Lakeview's Lindsay Johnson scored late in the first half in what turned out to be the game winner to beat Marshall in their annual rivalry game 2-0 at the Marshall Soccer Complex Wednesday night. Lakeview set the tone early by coming out physical and aggressive and maintained most of the play throughout the first half. Marshall's defense held their own against the Lakeview attack by limiting Lakeview's shots on goal to 3. Marshall showed the signs of a team that had played five games in six days as Lakeview was a step faster. "Lakeview was very physical and beat us to every 50-50 ball in the first half", said Coach Harkey. "But we did a nice job of limiting their opportunities even though they had most of the possesion." Marshall's best chance came midway through the first half when Roni Ranville played a free kick into the box and Meg Dubois headed it towards goal but Marshall was unable to get it by the Lakeview keeper.
          Marshall came out much stronger in the second half and managed to create several chances in the box but Lakeview's defense did well to keep it out of goal. Johnson scored Lakeview's second goal  with 13:35 left in the game to secure the victory. "It was a disappointing loss because we have been playing some good soccer as late. You have to give Lakeview credit. They really took it to us early and that set the tempo. But there were still a lot of positive things out there for us to build on. We still have a lot of good in front of us." Lakeview out shot Marshall 7 to 5 and Kelsie Wood had saves in goal. Marshall drops to 5-3 and 1-1 in the SMAC.

April 20, 2009

Marshall 2   Sturgis 1

          In an exciting match that came down to the last 8 minutes Marshall scored two goals within a two minute span to beat Sturgis 2-1 on Monday evening at Sturgis. With 7:45 left in the game Emily Nielsen sent a beautful corner kick across the goal and Courtney Gallihugh headed into the back of the net to tie the game. Two minutes later Carly Weck took a shot on goal that was blocked by the keeper but she was unable to hold the ball and Meg Dubois slammmed it in for the game winner. "What another great effort by the girls." said Coach Harkey. "For the second game in a row we have fought back from a deficit and used our conditioning to wear down our opponents. This game we were able to finish the job."
          The first half ended at 0-0 as both teams missed on opportunities. Sturgis did well in controlling possession but Marshall's defense did not allow Sturgis any good shots on goal. Marshall out shot Sturgis by 11 to 4 as Marshall did a nice job on the counter attack. "Sturgis had a lot of the possesion in the first half but Andrea, Roni, and Jules did a very good job of shutting down any attack to the goal." said Coach Harkey. "Sturgis' keeper deserves credit as she made several good saves created by our counter attacks".
          Sturgis gained the advantage only a minute into the second half as they scored on a rebounded shot to take the 1-0 lead. Midway through the second half Marshall began to force much of the play in Sturgis' end. "Our conditioning began to wear them down and we created many opportunities late in the game." said Harkey. Marshall finally broke through in the 62nd minute and again with Meg's game winner to take the win away from Sturgis. "We finally got a win we deserve. For the last two years we have had many games where we thought we out played our opponent but could not finish the game. Today we did just that and the girls feel good about it. This was a good win for us." Marshall out shot Sturgis 22 to 6. Courtney Gallihugh saw some action in goal and had 2 saves and Kelsie Wood also had 2 saves. Marshall improves to 5-2 and 1-0 in the SMAC.

April 18, 2009

Marshall 4   St Joe 4  (St Joe wins shoot out 5-4)

          On a beautiful, sunny, spring afternoon Marshall and St Joe provided their fans and the Sports Fest championship with a thrilling shoot out finale. St Joe scored two goals in the first five minutes and again with 8 minutes left in the half to take a three goal lead and it looked as though they would coast to victory. "We talked about what we thought St Joe would do after watching them against Jackson Western", said Coach Harkey. "They have a lot of speed and like to play the ball forward. They got behind our defense a couple of times early and capitilized. We regrouped after that and played a decent first half the rest of the way. Their third goal was another mistake that has bitten us a few times this year." Carly Weck finally broke through with 4:46 left in the half to narrow the lead to 3-1. "That was a big goal as it gave us some momentum going into the second half."
          The second half was a different story. Marshall came out very fired up and took the play right to St Joe. Mindi Winnie scored off the assist from Carly only 59 seconds into the second half and suddenly it was a game again. Both teams battled back and forth and again after a mistake by the Marshall keeper St Joe scored to push the lead back to 4-2. But Marshall was not done. "I was very proud of the way we continued to fight back after being down 3-0 and again at 4-2", said Harkey. From that point on Marshall completely controlled the game and maintained possesion in the St Joe defensive end. Freshman Katie Slaght scored her first two high school career goals with 7:32 left from a ball from Mindi and again with 3:40 on the clock off the assist from Andrea Pickleman. "We had them on the ropes and we were ready for the knock out punch but we ran out of time." said Harkey. "We played with such a fury that last 10 minutes. It was very enjoyable to watch. If we would have had five more minutes I truly think we would have won this game."       
          Under the Sports Fest rules, in the event of a tie, the game goes immediately to penalty kicks. Both St Joe and Marshall made their first four tries and it was down to the last round. Courtney Gallihugh made a great save on St Joe's fifth attempt and Courtney's attempt to win the game was saved by the St Joe keeper. St Joe made their 6 attempt and Marshall's was again stopped by the St Joe keeper for the win and the championship.
"It was just a great day for our Sports Fest. We had wonderful weather and a fantastic, entertaining game against a very quality team in St Joe. We raised over $800.00 in our Kick For A Cure" fundraiser.  And I would like to commend St Joe, Jackson Western, and Delton-Kellogg for their efforts in helping us raise the money for the Jimmy V Foundation." Marshall is now 4-2 on the season.

April 18, 2009

Marshall 8   Delton-Kellogg 0

In a game dominated by Marshall from the outset, Marshall beat Delton-Kellogg 8-0 to kick off the 2009 Marshall Sports Fest. Emily Nielsen led the way with three goals. Also scoring for Marshall was Danielle Hicks, Jordan Starring, Mindi Winnie, Ashley Metzgar, and Devin Dubois. Getting credit for an assist was Carly Weck(2), Danielle(2), Courtney Gallihugh, and Katie Slaght. Marshall out shot Delton 20-0 and improves to 4-1 on the season.

 April 16, 2009

Marshall 2   Hillsdale 0

         Hillsdale put up a valiant effort but came up short 2-0 Thursday evening at the Marshall Soccer Complex. Emily Nielsen came out strong early and scored just 5 minutes into the game from nice cross from Mindi Winnie. Although Marshall controlled much of the possession Hillsdale was very physical and Marshall did not capitalize on its many chances. "We were a little flat in the first half. Coming off a tough loss against Eaton Rapids last night, I thought we were a little out of focus. There was no communication on the field and we were out of position the entire first half." Marshall had 12 shots with 7 on goal in the first half.
         Marshall came out with much more intensity in the second half and completely controlled the play of the game. Marshall kept the ball in their offensive end most of the half and had 14 shots in the second half. Emily had 7 shots, 3 on goal, in the half as Marshall out shot Hillsdale 26 to 2 for the game. Although Marshall dominated the overall play, Hillsdale had a great opportunity midway through the second half as they played a long ball over Marshall's defense. Marshall was called for a foul in the penalty box but Hillsdale missed the penalty kick and the score remained 1-0. Danielle Hicks finally put the game away with 7:53 left off a corner from Emily. Courtney Gallihugh attacked the keeper on the cross and headed the ball away and Danielle placed it nicely in the far right corner of the goal. Kelsie Wood received credit for her second shut out of the season as Marshall improves to 3-1.

April 15, 2009

Marshall 1   Eaton Rapids 2

          Eaton Rapids took advantage of a Marshall miscue and beat Marshall 2-1 at Eaton Rapids on a windy Wednesday evening. Marshall used the wind in the first half and created several good opportunities in the Eaton Rapids box but could not finish the play. Emily Nielsen led the first half attack with 3 shots and Marshall's defense of Andrea Pickelman, Roni Ranville, and Jules Hinske limited Eaton Rapids to three shots. Late in the first half Eaton Rapids scored but it was nullified by an offsides call. The teams went into half time tied at 0-0. "We came out very focused and aggressive in the first half." said Coach Harkey. "Our midfield and forwards were very creative and we put some good pressure on the Eaton Rapids defense but we just couldn't finish. You have to give their defense a lot of credit. They really shut us down in the box."
         The second half turned out to be a tough physical duel as both teams battled for control of the game. In the 20th minute Eaton Rapids star forward hit a beautiful left footed shot to the top left corner of the goal to break the deadlock and take a 1-0 lead. Five minutes later after a Marshall miscue, Eaton Rapids again found the net to take a 2-0 lead. "I was very proud of our girls. They could have hung their heads after that second goal but they didn't and they fought their way back into the game." Marshall had several scoring opportunities in the last ten minutes and continued to pressure the Eaton Rapids defense. With 1:08 left in the game, Carly Weck finally broke through after a nice pass from Meg Dubois and beat the on rushing keeper. With less than 20 seconds remaining Emily had a chance to tie the game from 25 yards out but her free kick was saved by the Eaton Rapids keeper. "It was a tough physical game and our girls handled it well. We played very well against a very good team. They have 4 highly skilled players that caused us trouble all evening but we did a nice job of containing them. Take out that mistake and it's a draw. Although we didn't get the result we wanted, I am very happy with our play." Marshall out shot Eaton Rapids 12-8 with 7 shots on goal. Kelsie Wood had 4 saves as Marshall's record drops to 2-1.

JV

Marshall lost a close contest 0-1.

April 1, 2009

Marshall 8   Battle Creek Central 0

          Danielle Hicks led the way with three goals as Marshall dominated BC Central 8-0 Wednesday evening at Battle Creek. Danielle scored one minute and 9 seconds into the game off a cross from Jordan Starring and Marshall did not look back. Danielle scored her second goal with 13:20 left in the first half and Marshall then scored four goals in the last ten minutes to close the half with a 6-0 lead. Emily Townsend score her first career goal with 10 minutes left and was followed by Danielle's third goal and two goals by Emily Nielsen. All were unassisted. Carly Weck scored the final two goals the second coming at 20:41 of the second half from an assist from Mindi Winnie to end the game 8-0. "We are definitely much more offensive minded this year." said Coach Harkey. "We are playing well as team and we have a lot of girls who can put the ball in the net. There is a lot of enthusiasm and chemistry between the girls and they really want to do well. That combination makes it fun to be a coach."
          Marshall out shot Central 31 to 0 and had 13 shots on goal. Marshall also had 8 corners and 4 fouls. Courtney Gallihugh and Ashley Esselink were in goal for Marshall who start the season 2-0.
         

March 27, 2009

Marshall 7   Vicksburg 0

          Marshall opened the 2009 spring season with a bang on Friday night with a convincing 7-0 win at home against Vicksburg. Marshall was on the attack from the opening whistle as Mindi Winnie started the scoring just 6 minutes into the game off a cross from Danielle Hicks. One minute later Carly Weck tallied the second goal of the game from an assist from Emily Nielsen and Marshall was on its way to its first win over Vicksburg in several years. With 20 minutes left in the half Weck assisted on Meg Dubois' first goal of the season to make it 3-0 and four minutes later, Emily Nielsen poked a goal past the Vicksburg keeper after a pass from Ashley Metzgar.
          "We have had a very good two weeks of practice and it showed throughout the first half." said Coach Harkey. "We are very fast and athletic and we created many chances with our speed. One of our weaknesses in the past has been scoring so we made a concerted effort these past two weeks on being creative and putting the ball in the net."
          The second half started the same as Emily Nielsen squashed any hope for a Vicksburg comeback by scoring 2 minutes in from Hicks' second assist of the game. Ashley Metzgar scored her first career goal with 8 minutes to play with the assist going to Suzy Grant. Weck ended the scoring with 1 minute to go off a nice run from Andrea Pickelman. "We played with a nice combination of speed and aggressiveness that kept Vicksburg off balance the entire night." said Harkey. "There are 11 seniors on this team that want to end their athletic career on a high note and they were very focused tonight. It was a good start to our season."
          Marshall outshot Vicksburg 15 to 5 and had 7 corners. Marshall was called for 9 fouls to Vicksburg's 1. The defense of Andrea Pickelman, Jules Hinske, Roni Ranville, and Shannon Russell played a solid game in limiting the Vicksburg attack. Kelsie Wood recorded her first shut out of the season as Marshall starts the season 1-0.

JV

Marshall 1   Vicksburg 0

The Marshall JV team also started their season off on the right foot with a 1-0 win over Vicksburg. Marshall scored late in the game off an own goal by a Vicksburg defender. Asley Esselink recorded her first save of the season in goal.

2008

May 27, 2008

Marshall 0    Chelsea 4

          Marshall's season came to an end in the first round district game at Eaton Rapids with a 4-0 loss to 6th ranked Chelsea. Marshall came out very focused and played Chelsea even in the early going. Marshall was content to play a conservative game to try and slow down the high powered Chelsea team. Chelsea controlled much of the possession in the first half but it was possession in the midfield and not their attacking zone. "Chelsea is extremely well-skilled and fast and are very good in the open field. We wanted to force them to play a possession game," said Coach Harkey. "In the first half I thought we did an excellent job of doing just that." Chelsea finally broke through the stingy Marshall defense with 14:31 left in the first half when Chelsea junior Brooke Ehman dribbled through two Marshall defenders and hit a beautiful shot by keeper Kelsie Wood for the 1-0 lead. Marshall also had some opportunities in the offensive end in the first half. The best came when Emily Nielsen forced a corner kick. Emily's corner was a nice high ball that just missed Abby Longhurst and was cleared by the Chelsea defense. On several other ocassions Marshall had the ball in the box but could not create a good shot. The first half ended at 1-0 with Chelsea out shooting Marshall 4 to 2. "Our girls played an outstanding game the first half. We came up with a game plan and they executed it to perfection. Being down 0-1 at the half was right where we wanted to be."
          Chelsea broke the game open only 2:38 into the second half as Ehman beat the Marshall defense again and crossed the ball to freshman Ana Rode who booted it to the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. "That early goal in the second half was a back breaker," continued Harkey. "But you have to give our girls credit. They did not fold and continued to play very hard." Midway through the second half Marshall was forced to change its game plan and became more aggresive at the offensive end. Marshall again created several opportunities that put pressure on the Chelsea defense but they stood up to the challenge.
Chelsea seized control of the game late and scored their last two goals with 10:56 and 7:40 left in the game. "I am very proud of this team. We came up here with the intention of winning this game and we played a great game against a very good team. We walked off that field a proud group of Redhawks." Marshall ends its season at 8-10-1.   
         

May 21, 2008

Marshall 2   Loy Norrix 3

          Loy Norrix scored the game winner with 1:46 left in the game to beat Marshall 3-2 and win the Black Division Championship. Marshall ends the SMAC season with a 10th place finish. This was a very wide open exciting soccer game where both teams played well. Both teams came out of the gate very strong. Both created good opportunities early. Loy Norrix has several very skilled players including Junior Hannah Labadie who is participating in the Olympic Development Program.
          Marshall struck first after Mindi Winnie crossed a ball from the wing that was misplayed by the Norrix keeper and Emily Nielsen was there for the rebound and the 1-0 lead. Loy Norrix lined up for a free kick from 30 yards out after a controversial foul on Marshall. Labadie drilled it to the upper left corner and the 1-1 tie. Marshall again responded with 3:25 left in the first half when Abby Longhurst took a throw in from Shannon Russell turned and lofted a ball over the Norrix keeper's head for the 2-1 lead. After another questionable foul to the right of the penalty box, Labadie hit another beautiful shot that was just out of reach of Kelsie Wood. Kelsie touched the ball to the crossbar and gathered it in but the referee said it crossed the goal line and the game was even at the half 2-2. Marshall out shot Norrix in the first half 4 to 2.
          "That was a very well played 1st half. Our defense played excellent against their open style offense. Their forwards and mids do a nice job of creating runs but we marked them well and they were never really able to get off a good shot. Their two goals were the result of some questionable calls but give Labadie credit for putting them in."
          The second half was more of the same wide open soccer. Loy Norrix continued its offensive penetration but Marshall created many opportunites with some well executed counter attacks. Marshall was called for several offsides that thwarted a number of their opportunities. "We did a great job defending and then counter attacking in the second half. We were very aggressive and got caught offsides. But I liked our play." Both teams again had several chances in the second half and it wasn't until 1:46 left in the game that Norrix finally capitalized. Loy Norrix took a corner kick and it cleared the defense to the other side. A Norrix player was able to win possession and crossed it back to the front of the goal and it was headed in for the game winner.
         "This was a disappointing loss in the fact that we had our chances to beat a very good opponent. On the other hand I am very pleased with our play. We are doing some good things out there and this was a good game in preparation for our district game against Chelsea. Norrix's forwards and midfielders are very skilled and quick and they play a similar style to Chelsea. Our defenders and mids did a nice job of marking and stopping their penetrating runs and then we were quick and aggressive in our counter attacks. This was a fun game to be involved with."
          Marshall plays Chelsea, ranked #6 in the state, at 6:00pm at Eaton Rapids next Tuesday May 27th. The team asks that everyone attending the game wear red and black. 

May 19, 2008

Marshall 2   Harper Creek 0

          In the second round of the SMAC tournament, Marshall again got some redemption as they beat Harper Creek 2-0 to move into the Black Division championship game against Loy Norrix on Wednesday. On April 28th Harper Creek beat Marshall 2-1 on  a penalty kick in what was at the time a very disappointing loss for Marshall. Not this time around. Marshall was on the attack from the outset and just 11 minutes into the game Abby Longhurst took a throw in from Mindi Winnie and manuevered her way for a left footed shot to the far post for an early 1-0 lead. "We were very determined not to have an emotional letdown," said Coach Harkey. Marshall beat Kalamazoo Central 2-0 in a rematch last Wednesday and Harkey said the girls really wanted this game as well. Marshall continued to be the aggressor throughout the entire half and out shot Harper 11 to 0 to take the 1-0 lead into half time.
          The Beavers came out very aggressive to start the second half and created a couple of shots that were saved by Kelsie Wood. But Marshall's defense was very stingy and did not allow Harper any real good opportunities the rest of the way. With 14:03 left in the game, Emily Nielsen took in a cleared ball at the center line and played a nice ball to freshman Carly Weck who got around her defender and beat the onrushing keeper with a low hard ground ball that rolled in the net. "Our defense has played very well the last three games and we are starting to convert some opportunities on the offensive end as well," said Harkey. "We moved Emily and Carly up top as forwards and they have responded." Defenders Andrea Pickelman, Roni Ranville, Morgan Long, Shannon Russell, Suzy Grant, and keeper Kelsie Wood have combined for three straight shut outs. Marshall out shot Harper Creek 17 to 2 for the game and improves to 8-7-1. 

JV Score

Marshall 1   Harper Creek 0

In another rematch game Marshall's Birttany Kyser scored the game winner late in the second half off an assist from Ashley Metzgar to beat Harper 1-0. Marshall and Harper had previously tied 1-1 earlier in the year. Marshall won despite losing 6 girls early in the second half. Kate Belew, Samantha Corcoran, Carson Tobias, Anna Eshuis, Jonni McCray, and Laura Karr had to leave 10 minutes into the second half to play in an orchestra concert. Shortly thereafter a Marshall player received a yellow card so for the next 10 minutes Marshall had to play one player short. Despite all this, Marshall found a way to record its 11th and most impressive win of the season. Marshall is now 11-0-2.

May 14, 2008

Marshall 2   Kalamazoo Central 0

          Emily Nielsen scored two goals to lead Marshall to a 2-0 win at Kalamazoo Central in the first round of the SMAC tournament. Marshall came out very focused and played well the entire game. Marshall created several opportunities early with Emily getting 4 shots. Emily finally finished one for Marshall with 15:16 left in the first half. Abby Longhurst played a beautiful through ball to Emily down the right side who took it in stride, got around the K-Central defender, and then beat the keeper to the top of the net for the 1-0 lead. Marshall had 5 shots in the first half with 2 shots on goal. K-Central managed three shots with Kelsie Wood making 2 saves.
          Marshall picked up their intensity in the second half and again controlled much of the play. Emily Nielsen led the way in the second half as well as she fired off 3 more
shots and scored with 23:48 left in the game to put it out of reach. This goal was the result of a ball played forward by Mindi Winnie and Emily drilling a shot that bounced off a K-Central defender into the goal. "Emily played with a level of intensity and enthusiasm I have not seen from her before," said Coach Harkey. "Everyone else fed off that and we played well the entire 80 minutes. The defense played very well as Central was not able to create much of anything, never getting off a good shot."  Marshall out shot K-Central 13 to 5 and had 5 corners to Central's 2. Kelsie Wood made 2 saves and got credit for her fifth shut out of the year. Marshall is now 7-7-1 on the year and plays at Harper Creek next Monday in the second round.

JV Score

Marshall 2   K-Central 0

Jonni McCray and Courtney Gallihugh found the back of the net to help Marshall win its 10th game of the season and remain undeated at 10-0-2.

May 9, 2008

Marshall 8   Onsted 0

          On a night where the parents of all the varsity players were honored, Marshall celebrated the evening with a convincing win against Onsted 8-0. Before the start of the game, each player presented her parents with a flower and the program thanked each varsity parent for their support. Meg Dubois started the scoring spree after 10 minutes after a long ball assist into the box from Shannon Russell. Meg made a great first touch and turned and hit the upper right corner to beat the keeper for the 1-0 lead. Five minutes later Mindi Winnie beat the keeper on a nice pass from Abby Longhurst for a 2-0 lead. At 22:04 Onsted was called for a hand ball in the box and Meredith Leininger drilled the penalty kick to make it 3-0. Three minutes later Mindi scored her second goal by heading in a cross from Jordan Starring. At 17:46 Meredith and Abby teamed up again to make it 5-0 and at 10:48 Meredith got her hat trick after an assist from Jordan Starring. With only 18 seconds left in the first half Jordan also got into the scoring column after Abby got credit for her third assist to make it 7-0. After just 1:25 into the second half Carly Weck, playing in her first varsity game after being called up from the JV, received a nice pass from Jordan, got around her defender to the front of the goal, and beat the keeper with a nice placed ball to the right post. "On a beautiful spring night where spirits were high and many thanks were exchanged, the girls played inspired and enthusiastic soccer," said Coach Harkey. "We did all the things we needed to do and we played with a sense of enjoyment and fun. There were also a number of alumni in the stands so it was nice to put on such a fine performance in front of them. We are looking forward to the start of the league tournament because we feel we have some things to prove." Marshall improves to 6-7-1.

JV Score 

Marshall 2   Coldwater 1

As Onsted did not have a JV team, Marshall played a very inspired Coldwater team and won 2-1. Emily Peters and Britanny Kyser scored to help keep their unbeaten streak alive at 11 games. Marshall improves to 9-0-2 with four games to play.  

May7, 2008

Marshall 1   Stevensville-Lakeshore 4

          Marshall lost this non-divisional SMAC west crossover match to Stevensville-Lakeshore 4-1 Wednesday night at Marshall. For the second consecutive game Marshall lost a game where they controlled much of the action but failed to convert on its offensive end. Marshall continues to create opportunities but has problems finishing at the goal. Marshall outshot Lakeshore 16 to 8 and had 10 corners to Lakeshores' 1. Shots on Goal were even at 7.
          Lakeshore opened the scoring early as they converted on a free kick from 25 yards out 7:41 into the game. Marshall's defense failed to mark a Lakeshore forward as she got free inside the box. The ball played off her shoulder and was directed past Kelsie Wood for the 1-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was an even affair with both team getting 4 shots.
          Marshall came out with a very high level of intensity to start the second half. Just 3:37 into the second half Abby Longhurst played a ball out wide to Hannah Richardson who drilled a line drive over the keeper's head just under the crossbar to even the score at 1-1. Abby and Hannah again combined several minutes later for another great opportunity. Abby dribbled around two Lakeshore defenders and played a ball through to Hannah whose shot was just wide of goal. Minutes after that Emily Nielsen crossed a ball on the ground right across the goal mouth but there was no Marshall player there. "We played some fantastic soccer during that stretch early in the second half," said Coach Harkey. "We were first to every ball. We were distributing quickly. We were making some
beautiful crosses to the front of the goal. But as has been the case all year we can't put it in when it counts the most."
          At 24:33 Lakeshore created a well developed counter attack and scored to take the 2-1 lead. Although Marshall fell behind they continued to attack and had other chances to tie the game. Then with Marshall pushing forward Lakeshore score two breakaway goals in
the final 15 minutes to seal the victory. "I am not too concerned with those last goals," said Harkey. "We were moving and attacking forward and we got caught numbers down and Lakeshore did well to capitalize. We will spend a lot of practice time over the next week on shooting and finishing but at this point in the season the coaches are happy with the type of soccer we are playing. We are doing some nice things out there and we will continue to get better. " Marshall drops to 5-7-1 on the season.

May 5, 2008

Marshall 0   K-Central 1

          Marshall lost this non-divisional crossover game at Kalamazoo Central Monday night 1-0. In a brutally physical game Marshall held much of the play in their offensive end but could not convert that into goals as K-Central scored on a breakway with 18:26 left in the second half to capture the win. In a game marred by controversial non-calls, Marshall again created many chances to score but just could not put the ball in the goal. Hannah Richardson had an early opportunity in front of goal but missed wide and Marshall had several chances on crossed balls in the first half. "Despite the K-Central tactics of physical intimidation, I thought we handled it well and actually played some pretty good soccer," said Coach Harkey. "Scoring has been our nemesis all year." 
         In the second half Marshall continued to apply pressure on the K-Central defense. Midway through the second half K-Central played a long ball over the Marshall defense and scored as Kelsie Wood made an attempt at a sliding save. "It's tough to have the game under control tactically but then give up a score like that," continued Harkey. But Marshall was not done. Marshall picked up where they left off and  kept the ball in K-Central defensive end. Mindi Winnie had several crosses and Hannah and Jules Hinske had shots against the keeper that were saved or went wide. Abby Longhurst had two free kicks that did not find their mark. As Marshall continued to get inside the K-Central penalty area, several fouls went uncalled. "Yes, I think the referee missed some calls in the box. We have a tendency to blame the officials in this type of situation but we should have scored at least 2 or 3 goals and we didn't," said Harkey. "I told the girls that even though we lost the game, we won the battle of life because we did not stoop to our opponents' level and we did not show any disrespect to the ref. We walked off that field with our pride and dignity still intact." Marshall remains at 4 points in the SMAC seeding. Marshall record is 5-6-1.

JV Score

Marshall 7   K-Central 0

Marshall extended its unbeaten streak to 9 games with a solid win against K-Central 7-0. Carly Weck led the way with 2 goals and 3 assists. Also scoring for Marshall was Ashley Essleink, Sarah Clark, Emily Peters, Samntha Cocoran, and Courtney Gallihugh. Courtney, Sarah, Ashely Esselink, and Karrly Sykora were credited with assists.
         

April 30, 2008

Marshall 7   Coldwater 1

          Marshall rebounded from its disappointing loss against Harper Creek by soundly defeating Coldwater 7-1 Wednesday night at the Marshall Soccer Complex. Marshall came out ready to play and it showed early as Marshall completely dominated all facets of the game. Sixteen minutes into the game Meredith Leininger took a pass from Abby Longhurst and beat the keeper for the early 1-0 lead and Marshall never looked back. Five minutes later Meredith returned the favor. After gaining possession in the box Meredith played the ball back to Abby who found the back of the net to make it 2-0. With three minutes left in the half Kay Fitzsimmons found Jules Hinske in front of the goal to increase the lead to 3-0 and with 36 seconds left Mindi Winnie crossed it to Emily Nielsen to go into half with a 4-0 lead. "The focus and energy level we played with today is what we need every game," said Coach Harkey. "We talked before the game about how good teams win games they are supposed to win. This was a game that we should have won big and we did."
          The second half was more of the same for Marshall continuing to control most of the possession. Two minutes into the second half Hannah Richardson and Mindi Winnie combined again as Mindi crossed a ball to the front of the goal and Hannah vollied it into the net for the 5-0 lead. Thirteen minutes later at 24:04 Meredith Leininger was credited for her second assist with a nice through ball that Kay Fitzsimmons put past the keeper for a 6-0 lead. With 19 minutes left Meredith received credit for her third assist of the game by playing a ball to the corner that was run down by Devin Dubois. Devin scored her first goal of the season by turning to goal and beating the keeper to the near post. Late in the game Coldwater played a long ball over the Marshall defense and beat keeper Kelsie Wood to the right for Coldwater's lone goal. On a similar play with 5 minutes left Kelsie charged the oncoming Coldwater player and made a great save but injured her hip on the play. Her status is day to day. "Kelsie will see the trainer tomorrow and we will know more about her status at that time," said Harkey. "I think the girls understand after this week how important it is to be ready to play every game. We have a tough game on Friday at Williamston and we begin the crossovers next week. I think this team is now ready to play the rest of the year with great intensity." Marshall out shot Coldwater 43 to 2 with 25 of those on goal. The Coldwater keeper was credited with 18 saves. Marshall ends the SMAC East season in 4th place with 4 points and a record of 1-2-1. Marshall is 5-5-1 overall.

JV Score

Marshall 4    Coldwater 0

Marshall's JV continued its unbeaten streak by beating Coldwater 4-0 Wednesday evening at Marshall. Carly Weck had another solid game with a goal and 3 assists. Also scoring for Marshall were Courtney Gallihugh, Carson Tobias, and Sarah Clark. Laura Karr also had an assist. Marshall improves its record to 6-0-2.

April 28, 2008

Marshall 1   Harper Creek 2

          Marshall suffered the proverbial emotional letdown on Monday night at Harper Creek by losing to the Beavers 2-1. After playing the game of their season against their rival Lakeview last Wednesday, Marshall could not find the emotional energy to compete with Harper Creek. Harper Creek came out from the very beginning showing that they wanted the game more than Marshall. Harper Creek was more aggressive and more physical and capitalized on Marshall's lack of focus. Thirteen minutes into the game Harper Creek scored to take the early 1-0 lead. "As soon as we got off the bus, I turned to my assistants and said we were in trouble", said Coach Harkey. "You could just see that the girls were not focused. I think they took this Harper team for granted."
          Marshall did regroup for a brief period during the early part of the second half. With 34:55 on the clock, Mindi Winnie made a beautiful cross where Hannah Richardson collected it and drilled a shot past the Beaver keeper to even the score at 1-1. But the celebration was short-lived. Twelve minutes later the Marshall defense was called for a penalty and Harper Creek took the lead on a penalty kick 2-1. Marshall finally decided to play with some intensity in the last 7 minutes as they created several opportunities to tie the game. Jules Hinske got free on a breakaway and scored the apparent equalizing goal with one second remaining in the game but it was denied as the referee called her offsides. "Inconsistency has been a problem all season," said Harkey. "For the girls to play with such heart and determination one game and then turnaround and play with no emotion at all the next game is a coach's dilemma. I told them after the game that they got what they deserved. We have to give Harper credit. They just wanted this game more than we did." Harper out shot Marshall 13 to 10 with shots on goal at 5 to 3. Harper had 5 corners to Marshall's 2. Kelsie Wood had 4 saves in goal. Marshall drops to 0-2-1 in the SMAC East and 4-5-1 overall.

JV Score

Marshall 1   Harper Creek 1

In a battle of two unbeaten teams for first place in the SMAC East, Marshall and Harper Creek fought to a 1-1 draw. Harper Creek scored first in the first five minutes when the Marshall defense was called for a penalty. Harper converted and led 1-0. In the second half both teams had several chances and Ashley Esselink finally found the back of the net for Marshall to tie it at 1-1.  

April 23, 2008

Marshall 0   Lakeview 0

          After 110 minutes of soccer, SMAC East rivals Marshall and Lakeview had to settle for a 0-0 draw in a highly competitive, very physical game. Lakeview came out of the gates strong and did have much of the play early. Lakeview had 4 shots in the first half with Kelsie Wood making two saves. Lakeview also had 7 corners to 1 for Marshall. Mindi Winnie and Andrea Pickeleman did manage to get off shots for Marshall but both were wide of goal. "We struggled a little early in the game but once we settled down I thought we matched their intensity well," said Coach Harkey.  
          In The second half both teams showed tremendous courage and passion on the field. Although both teams had numerous opportunities, the defenses shut down every chance. Late in the second half, Marshall began to take control and created several opportunities in the box. Mindi Winnie and Abby Longhurst got inside the Lakeview defense on two occasions but could not get a good shot on goal. Mindi also had a great opportunity as she got behind the Lakeview defense but they recovered to stop the threat. Lakeview had 4 shots to Marshall's 3 in the second half. "That was the best defense our girls have played all year. Lakeview never really got a good shot on goal until the overtime," said Harkey. "Andrea and Roni played with an aggression that was contagious. I would have to say that was the most physical I have seen a Marshall team play in a long time."
          The game opened up during the two overtime periods. Emily Nielsen created several chances with her individual attacks to the goal and Meg Dubois had a shot on goal that was denied by the Lakeview keeper. Lakeview's best chances came in the second overtime when they received a free kick from 25 yards out. Grace Labrecque struck a beautiful ball that curled over the wall but Kelsie Wood tipped the ball over the crossbar for the save. Three minutes later Labrecque was at it again after she got behind the Marshall defense. Andrea chased her down and forced her to shoot early and Kelsie again made a game saving stop by again tipping the ball over the crossbar. The game ended 0-0. "What a great game to be involved in. It was a typical Marshall-Lakeview battle to the end," concluded Harkey. "If we can continue to play with that kind of intensity and passion, it will be a rewarding year for all of us." Marshall is now 4-4-1 and 0-1-1 in the SMAC East.

JV Score

Marshall 4   Lakeview 0

Marshall improves to 5-0-1 by beating Lakeview Wednesday night at Lakeview. Carly Weck scored twice and Carson Tobias and Ashley Metzgar each scored for Marshall.  

April 21, 2008

Marshall 0  Sturgis 2

          Marshall's three game winning streak came to a screeching halt Monday night as Sturgis came to town and won this SMAC East showdown 2-0. Marshall began the game with a lot of intensity and emotion and controlled much of the play for the first fifteen minutes. Marshall created several chances and had three early shots as the momentum was clearly with the Redhawks. "We played well the early part of the game", said Coach Harkey "We were playing the field well and were keeping our shape and maintaining possession. Then suddenly, our wind went out of our sails." At the 16:51 mark of the first half Sturgis struck first. After a crossed ball was not cleared, Sturgis attacked the loose ball and beat Kelsie Wood for the go ahead goal. Sturgis then took control and never relinquished it. With 5:54 left in the half Sturgis scored again. A Sturgis shot was tipped by Kelsie and it struck the crossbar and came down in front of the goal and Sturgis was again first to the ball to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. "That second goal was a result of our play during the latter half of the first 40 minutes," continued Harkey. "They were the aggressors and they won all the 50-50 balls. The result was a 2-0 lead."
          Sturgis continued to control the play with their aggressiveness during much of the second half as Marshall appeared a step slow and out of sinc offensively. Sturgis' defense was outstanding as Marshall managed only 1 shot in the second half. Sturgis out shot Marshall 10 to 4 as Kelsie had 6 saves in goal. There were 17 fouls called during the second half, 8 on Marshall. "We lost that high level of energy we had in the previous game and the first part of this game. Sturgis played very hard and we did not match their aggressive play. We are disappointed but this team will rebound and we will continue to improve."  Marshall drops to 4-4 and 0-1 in the SMAC East.        

JV Score

Marshall 7   Sturgis 1

Marshall JV ran its unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1) as they won easily 7-1. Carly Weck again led the charge with 2 goals. Brittany Kyser also had 2 goals and Ashley Esselink, Courtney Gallihugh, and Jonni McCray each added a goal for Marshall. Carly also had 2 assists as did Brittany. Karrly Sykora had her first assist for the year.

April 19, 2008

Marshall Sports Fest Championship

Marshall 1  St Joe 0

          In the championship game Marshall overcame its early morning blues and played an outsanding game against a very good St. Joe team and captured the Sports Fest Championship with an impressive 1-0 win. In a highly competitive game, Marshall freshmen Meg Dubois and Jules Hinske combined to score the game winner with 23:07 left in the second half. Jules won a 50-50 ball at midfield and headed it forward to Meg who took it in stride and outran the St Joe defender. In a one on one duel, Meg beat the sliding Bear keeper to the top of the net for the only score of the game. Marshall then sat back and played solid defense for the last 15 minutes to thwart any St Joe attack.
          The Marshall defense played an excellent game in shutting down the very fast, athletic St Joe offense. The defense limited the Bear offense to 6 shots while keeper Kelsie Wood made 4 saves. "Prior to this game our defense has not played up to standard," said Coach Harkey. "After the disappointing game this morning I challenged the defense and they more than responded. If they can continue this type of effort, we will be tough to beat. What's even more impressive is we did it without two of our regulars, Andrea Pickelman and Hannah Richardson who were competing with the Marshall Women's Ensemble." Marshall out shot St Joe 10 to 6 and improves its record to 4-3.

April 19. 2008

Marshall 4 Delton-Kellogg 3

          Marshall opened up the Marshall Sports Fest with a narrow 4-3 victory that was decided by penalty kicks. After struggling to a 2-2 draw after regulation, Marshall's Kay Fitzsimmons and Meredith Leininger drilled two penalty kicks into the back of the net to escape defeat in a tense nail-biting finish. Marshall came out very sluggish in the early 9:00am start and never gained any momentum as Delton took the early lead with 16:42 remaining in the first half. Abby Longhurst scored 6 minutes later on a corner kick by Emily Nielsen that was redirected to Abby by Roni Ranville. With 7:04 left in the half Emily took a well played ball over the Delton defense from Morgan Long and and chipped the ball over a hard charging Delton keeper to go into halftime with a 2-1 lead. "We did not play well at all during that first half." said Coach Harkey. "Our first touch was not good. Delton beat us to every 50-50 ball and we could not kick it in the ocean."   
          The second half did not fare any better for the Redhawks. Marshall could not generate any offensive production and only managed two quality shots that were wide of goal. With 25:19 left in the game, the defense failed to clear a ball and Delton put the ball over Kelsie Wood's head to tie the game 2-2. That's the way regulation ended and with modified rules for the Sports Fest in affect, the game went directly to penalty kicks. Marshall won the toss and elected to have Delton shoot first. Each team missed their first three attempts and Delton missed its fourth. Kay Fitzsimmons put Marshall ahead 3-2 on Marshall' fourth attempt. Delton then made their final shot to tie the game 3-3. Meredith Leininger then stepped to the penalty spot and calmly put one past the keeper to win the game 4-3. "It was a very nerveracking ending to a very difficult game." said Coach Harkey. "After having played three good games to come out with this type of performance was very disappointing. The only good thing about this game is that we won. But good teams find ways to win and we'll take it." Marshall out shot Delton 11 to 3 and evened its record at 3-3.

April 16, 2008

Marshall 5 Hillsdale 1

          Marshall continued its impressive play Wednesday night at Hillsdale by defeating the Hornets 5-1. On the opening kick off, Marshall moved the ball quickly down field and Hannah Richardson played a cross directly in front of goal that was finished by left winger Mindi Winnie after only 39 seconds had come off the clock. Hillsdale answered seven minutes later with a long shot that was carried by the 20 mile an hour gusts into the top of the goal. Emily Nielsen responded with 28:56 left in the half after a nice pass from Kay Fitzsimmons and beat the Hornet keeper for a 2-1 lead. Mindi then finished off the first half with a beautiful header to the far post off a corner from Emily Nielsen to take a 3-1 lead into halftime. "We have been emphasizing how important it is in the game of soccer to be able to use your head effectively." said Coach Harkey. "I hope the girls can see by Mindi's goal what can be done with the head. It was a beautiful goal."
          Marshall continued its dominating play by controlling most of the second half possession and Abby Longhurst got her head on another Emily Nielsen corner to push the lead to 4-1 with 31:46 on the clock. Marshall had another opportunity moments later but failed to convert on a penalty kick. With 5:01 left in the game, Devin Dubois played a ball  inside the box to Jules Hinske who then passed to Meredith Leininger for the final goal to end the scoring at 5-1. Marshall out shot Hillsdale 21 to 6 including 14 to 0 in the second half. Kelsie Wood received credit in goal for her second career victory. "Our first touch was not as adequate tonight but it was extremely windy and the pitch was very rough." said Harkey. "But I do hope these last three games are an indication of where our offensive production is headed. We have done a nice job of creating opportunities from balls on the ground not just the long flighted balls. We are defonitely moving in the right direction." Marshall has been able to get 23, 20 and 21 shots in the last three games. Marshall improves to 2-3.

JV Score

Marshall 5   Hillsdale 0

Marshall JV won its third game of the season Wednesday night by shutting out Hillsdale 5-0. After a slow start in which Marshall held a 1-0 lead at halftime as a result of a goal by Brittany Kyser, Marshall exploded in the second half with 4 goals to pull away. Brittany  scored her second goal in the second half along with Courtney Gallihugh (2) and Carly Weck.
Courtney and Ashley Esselink combined in goal to record the shut out. Marshall is now 3-0-1.

April 14, 2008

Marshall 1   Eaton Rapids 2

        After an eleven day lay off, Marshall resumed action in a non-conference match against Eaton Rapids on a beautiful but crisp Monday night at the Marshall High School Soccer Complex. Although Marshall played its finest soccer of the young season, Eaton Rapids pulled out a tough battle by beating Marshall 2-1. Both teams came out aggressive and had some good opportunities to score early. Marshall out shot the Greyhounds 8 to 6 in the first half but could not find the back of the net. "It was a tough physical game and I thought we did some good things out there", said Coach Harkey. "At times we played really good soccer". The game remained tied until 5:47 left in the first half when Eaton Rapids capitalized on a tentative play by the Marshall defense and rushed the Marshall goal to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
          Marshall showed early in the second half why Coach Harkey is very high on this team. Marshall's front four of Emily Nielsen, Hannah Richardson, Jules Hinske, and Mindi Winnie put terrific pressure on the Eaton Rapids defense. After just 2:48 into the second half, Emily played a ball to the corner where Hannah beat her defender and drilled a beautiful low driving shot past the Greyhounds keeper. Marshall continued the attack and reeled off 7 shots in the first 15 minutes of the second half. "We played at such a high intensity level early in that second half that it was somewhat disheartening to the girls that we could not score more than one goal", continued Harkey. "It was very fun to watch and it shows the promise of what these girls can do and how well they are capable of playing."
          Although Eaton Rapids regained some of the momentum and scored the game winner off a corner kick with 18:44 left in the game, Marshall continued to create several more opportunities down the stretch that would have tied the game. "The difference in this game was mistakes. We made two crucial errors and they took advantage of both" concluded Harkey. "But I like where we're at." Marshall out shot Eaton Rapids 12 to 5 in the second half and 20 to 11 for the game. Hannah led the way with 5 shots while Abby Longhurst and Jules had 3 each. Others with shots were Andrea Pickelman, Meg Dubois, Emily Nielsen, Meredith Leininger, and Mindi Winnie. Kelsie Wood had 7 saves in goal.
Marshall falls to 1-3.   

JV Score

Marshall 0   Eaton Rapids 0

Marshall JV out shot Eaton Rapids 16 to 2 but could not score and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. 
         

April 2, 2008

Marshall 8    Battle Creek Central 0

          Marshall ended its early season two game losing streak with a convincing 8-0 win against Battle Creek Central Wednesday evening at the Marshall High School Soccer complex. The game was stopped with 30 minutes left in the second half with the mercy rule imposed at the 8 goal lead mark. Marshall completely dominated the game by out shooting BC Central 21 to 1. Marshall had 4 corner kicks to BC's 0. Senior Hannah Richardson, junior Emily Nielsen, and freshman Jules Hinske, each scored two goals. Seniors Abby Longhurst and Kay Fitzsimmons also each had a goal. Longhurst, Richardson, junior Andrea Pickelman, junior Corrin Rugg, Hinske (2) each had assists. "This was a very timely game for us." said Coach Harkey. "After two really tough games to start the season, it was nice to have a game like this to build some confidence going into spring break. Everyone played and everyone played well."
          Nielsen started off the scoring with 27:13 of the first half when she beat the keeper on a breakaway. Fitzsimmons scored from just inside the box seven minutes later to give Marshall a 2-0 lead. Marshall continued to attack and Longhurst found the back of the net with 6:39 of the first half and Nielsen beat the keeper for the second time with 2:01 to take Marshall into halftime with a 4-0 lead. Battle Creek Central did a nice job of playing the offsides against Marshall's aggressive attack by getting 6 offsides calls in the firts half. "We made a couple of adjustments at halftime against their defensive scheme and the girls listened well." said Coach Harkey. Marshall came out of halftime and immediately attacked BC's defense. Richardson and Hinske each scored their 2 goals within ten minutes the last by Hinske at the 30 minute mark to end the game.

March 28, 2008

Marshall 0     Vicksburg 2

          Marshall lost its second game in a row to start the season to a tough Vicksburg team 2-0 Friday night at Vicksburg. Vicksburg came out of the gates strong and controlled the early part of the game. Marshall recovered and created several opportunities in the latter part of the second half. Hannah Richardson, Jordan Starring and Abby Longhurst each had shots in the first half. Marshall's best chance came with 10 minutes left in the half when Richardson played a great ball across the middle that rolled across an open net but no one could get there to finish it. Vicksburg had 11 total shots in the first half but did not score until 3:57 left in the first half. A crossed ball was not cleared and was kicked in over goalkeeper Kelsie Wood's head. "I thought we played a very good game in the first half. We matched their physical style of play" said Coach Harkey. "We put together some nice combinations and attacked their defense well. Visksburg put good pressure on us but our defense did not crack. Kelsie Wood made some great saves in goal to keep us in the game early."
           After sitting in the frigid temperature during halftime, Marshall came out flat to start the second half and Vicksburg took advantage. Vicksburg scored on a drive from 20 yards out at the 30:57 mark and controlled much of the play for the rest of the game. Marshall's Meredith Leininger did get off a shot but it was wide of goal. "These girls have to learn to stay focused for the entire game," said Harkey, "especially against quality teams. We lost that focus at halftime and never got it back." Vicksburg outshot Marshall17 to 4 and had 4 corners to Marshall's 1. Wood had a total of 8 saves in goal. Marshall drops to 0-2 on the young season and plays at home Wednesday, April 2 against Battle Creek Central.

JV Score

Marshall 3     Vicksburg 1

Carly Weck got the hat trick with three goals within a five minute span of the second half to lead Marshall to a come from behind win 3-1 against Vicksburg Friday evening. The goal gives Weck 4 in the first two games of the season. Ashley Metzgar and Samantha Corcoran had assists.

March 20, 2008

Marshall 1     Lumen Christi 3

          Abby Longhurst scored on a beautiful unassisted goal from 25 yards our with 22:30 left in the seond half but it was not enough as Lumen Christi spoiled Marshall's season and home opener with a 3-1 win Thursday night at the high school soccer complex. Senior Richelle Hills, who will be playing at Grand Valley State next year, scored a hat trick to lead a very talented Lumen Christi team over Marshall. Hills scored her first goal with 16:52 left in the first half on a counter attack breakaway after Marshall had failed to capitalize in their attacking zone.
          With 34:43 left in the second half Hills beat two Marshall defenders to give Lumen a 2-0 lead. "I was very happy that our girls did not give up even though we were down 0-2." said Coach Harkey. Abby Longhurst led the charge with her goal but Marshall could not penetrate Lumen's defense after that. Hills sealed the win for Lumen with another breakaway goal with 13:25 left in the game. "We were pushing forward for the equalizer and Lumen capitalized on our aggressiveness on that last goal. I like the fact that we were forcing play at that point in the game. We are not satisfied with the result and the girls know they can play better."
          Lumen outshot Marshall 9 to 5 and had 2 corners compared to 0 for Marshall. Underclassmen Meg Dubois, Jules Hinske, Suzy Grant, and Kelsie Wood all played well in their varsity debut. Wood had 5 saves in goal.

JV Score

Marshall 3     Lumen Christi 1

Samantha Corcoran, Carly Weck, and Emily Peters each scored a goal and Courtney Gallihugh recorded her first career win in goal to beat Lumen Christi 3-1 in the JV season and home opener.