ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Golden Grizzlies came ready to play on Sunday, Oct. 13, against the Wright State Raiders at the Oakland Soccer Field. But the game slipped away from them, as the Raiders came out on top 3-0.
The Golden Grizzlies and the Raiders had nearly equal scoring chances at the start of the match. Lorelai Miller took the afternoon's first shot for Oakland in the second minute, and Elise Canter took a shot on behalf of Wright State in the fifth minute.
As the first progressed, the Raiders saw an uptick in opportunities to score, keeping constant pressure on the Golden Grizzlies. In the 19th minute, Marina Downing saw a great chance to put Oakland ahead with a goal but missed the net on the left side by just a few inches, leaving the game in a stalemate.
With the first half nearing the end, the Raiders finally broke through the tough Oakland defense. Wright State's Addy Canter took a shot at goalkeeper Lauren Perry. Despite Perry saving the first shot, Canter collected her miss and found the back of the net to put the Raiders up, 1-0.
Entering halftime, the Golden Grizzlies and the Raiders were tied in shots taken (5-to-5). Wright State led Oakland in shots on goal (5-to-2). However, the Golden Grizzlies led in corner kicks, seeing five corners to Wright State's two.
Coming out of halftime, the Golden Grizzlies wasted no time looking for an equalizer. Oakland came out more aggressively than the first, and Thai Quallich rifled off two shots in the first two minutes of the second half.
Despite the aggression, Wright State extended their lead in the 51st minute. A corner kick from Olivia Mace found Olivia Stroud in the box. With just the goalie in her way, Stroud braced the net to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead over the Golden Grizzlies.
With a large deficit to overcome, Oakland picked up the pace, looking for any chance to cut into the Wright State lead. Putri Sazali and Lisa Kazandjian each took a shot following the Raider goal. Unfortunately, both shots were off the mark.
Once again, the Raiders scored in the 81st minute. Allison Charleston put the game on ice for Wright State, sending the ball to the top right of the net to extend the Raiders' lead to 3-0. In the game's closing moments,
The Golden Grizzlies battled hard all day on their senior day, but they ultimately came up short with the lead out of their reach. The loss shifts Oakland's overall record to 3-10-2 and their conference record to 2-4.
At the game's conclusion, the Golden Grizzlies and the Raiders tied in shots taken, with both teams taking 15 shots a piece. Wright State led in shots on goal, with 11 compared to Oakland's seven. In corners, Oakland led with nine, while the Raiders had seven.
Next, the Golden Grizzlies will look to bounce back when they play the Northern Kentucky Norse on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Oakland Soccer Field. The game will kick off at 5 p.m. and will be live-streamed on ESPN+.
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