The Oakland University women’s soccer team drew with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) Phoenix on Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Oakland Soccer Field.
The draw shifts the Grizzlies overall record to 5-5-6 and their conference record to 3-1-4.
“To be honest, we have to play with a lot more energy, and I would say urgency in our own home field,” head coach Juan Pablo Favero said. “It’s a bit of a sour taste in the mouth to not get this win. So hopefully, that is also a motivator to push and get the next one.”
The Phoenix opened the game with possession and got their first good look at a goal five minutes into the first half. The OU defense shut it down, which led to a corner and the first missed shot of the day for the Phoenix.
Notably, the Grizzlies started the game playing against some harsh wind. At some points, the wind speed reached as much as 13 mph, with strong gusts of 23 mph in the first half.
“It was difficult for us to play our style, and they did a good job at locking us in,” Favero said. “It’s hard when the wind’s against you to hit some of those longer balls. Again, not to make excuses because you have to find a way to still play —the conditions are still the conditions.”
With the wind at their advantage, UWGB continued to keep the pressure coming in the first half. The Phoenix got a flurry of shot attempts off in the tenth minute. Fortunately for the Grizzlies, goalie Julia Zangrel and the defense were able to deny all attempts.
The rest of the first half saw much of the same from both teams. UWGB continued to dominate on offense, but the team couldn’t find the net. Although the Grizzlies got a couple of solid looks at a goal, they were few and far between.
Notably, the Phoenix attempted eight shots compared to OU’s three attempts in the first half.
The Grizzlies opened the second half, keeping much better control of the ball than the first. In the first five minutes of the second, the offense remained aggressive, and the defense broke up all UWGB offensive advances.
While the wind was still a present factor in the match, it was much less prevalent in the second. Additionally, with OU attacking the same side the wind was pushing into, it led to many more chances to score.
UWGB dealt with most of the offensive problems the Grizzlies faced in the first while playing against the wind. Unfortunately for OU, they couldn’t capitalize on their advantage, leading to the game ending in a draw.
Next, the Grizzlies will face off against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Panthers at home on Saturday, Oct. 21. Following that, the team will finish up their regular season on the road against the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) Titans on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
“It’s a big three points on Saturday that we will have against Miluakee,” Favero said. “They’re the number one team right now in the standings, so we’re gonna have to come out with a lot more intensity and urgency in that game.”
Currently, OU is slated for fourth place in the Horizon League standings, and only the top six teams from the league will make the playoffs. With UWM in first place and UDM in seventh place in the Horizon League, the next two matches will be pivotal in determining whether or not the Grizzlies can earn a playoff berth.
