On Saturday, Oct. 21, the Oakland University women’s soccer team’s battle with the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) Panthers ended in a draw at the Oakland Soccer Field.
“I’m proud of our team,” head coach Juan Pablo Favero said. “It’s an impressive performance for such a young team, one that I think will help give them some confidence moving forward.”
The tie moves OU’s record to 5-5-7 overall and 3-1-5 in the Horizon League. Additionally, the tie breaks a five-game losing streak the Grizzlies have had against the Panthers.
Notably, the Grizzlies are just the second team this season and the only team in the conference to hold the Panthers, who lead the Horizon League standings, scoreless.
“We changed our tactics to neutralize their attack because it’s so lethal — they’re such a good team,” Favero said. “They have so many dangerous players. We felt that if we defended properly, it would give us a chance to win.”
The Grizzlies opened the first half with possession of the ball. Both teams started off the game relatively patiently, taking the more accessible passes while slowly progressing up the field.
As the game advanced, the Grizzlies had difficulty getting the ball past the UWM midfielders. The Panthers instantly swarmed the team and clogged up passing lanes as soon as the Grizzlies pushed to get the ball out of their territory.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Grizzly defense consistently gave the Panthers problems. Although UWM attempted four shots in the first 14 minutes of the match, the Panthers were unable to attempt another shot the rest of the first half.
While OU got some breathing room and opportunities to score later in the first half, the Panther defense held strong, and both teams entered halftime scoreless.
The Panthers opened the second half with the ball and continued to keep up their offensive intensity. However, the OU defense matched that intensity as they broke up multiple early Panther attacks.
In the 48th minute, the Grizzlies got their best chance at scoring a goal all game. Midfielder Macey Wierenga attempted a shot deep into the penalty box, and midfielder Shannon Brown attempted a second shot seconds later.
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Panther goalkeeper Kendall Edwards made two incredible saves. Ultimately succeeding in keeping the Grizzlies scoreless. Notably, both shot attempts were OU’s only two in the entire game.
“I think we were all in disbelief that ball didn’t go in,” Favero said. “Credit to their goalkeeper, but I’m going to have to look at the video because I still don’t understand how she made those saves, especially the second save.”
Despite the Grizzlies improving on their possession, the rest of the second half mirrored the first half. The OU defense continued to deny a UWM goal while the offense remained stagnant, resulting in a draw.
Next, the Grizzlies will travel to Titan Field on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans in their final game of the regular season.
“We got a different challenge coming on Wednesday, and we’re gonna have to make sure that we are up to that challenge and meet those expectations,” Favero said.
Currently, the Titans trail the Grizzlies in the standings by two points, and the Robert Morris University Colonials are one point short of the Grizzlies in the standings.
An OU win or tie against the Titans will clinch a playoff appearance for the team. However, a loss to the Titans could result in the Grizzlies missing the playoffs.
