The Kent State soccer team was shutout in a 1-0 loss to the Miami RedHawks in the final conference game of the season. This puts the Flashes at 8-6-5 overall and 6-4-2 in Mid-American Conference play.
The game against the RedHawks wraps up the regular season for the Flashes. It’s KSU’s third shutout loss of the season and the sixth-straight game of the team scoring one goal or less.
“We played well in big parts of the game, but when it counted, we didn’t step up to the moments,” coach Rob Marinaro said.
The breakdown
In the first half, both teams struggled offensively to create any scoring opportunities. The RedHawks and the Flashes both struggled to create any momentum, as both teams played solid defense to keep the half scoreless. KSU took all of its shots in the first half and still couldn’t manage to find the net.
“Our defense was very strong today and kept us in the game most of the day,” Marinaro said.
The stat sheet remained fairly even between both teams. The RedHawks had the upper hand in shots, as the team had 10 on the night, four of those being on goal.
The Flashes, on the other hand, struggled to create shots on net, as the team only had three shots on the night, with only one of them reaching the net. This was the Flashes’ lowest number of shots on the season.
Both teams had five corner kicks on the night. The Flashes had 10 fouls while the RedHawks had 14.
“We just didn’t have some players step up to the occasion,” Marinaro said. “We needed some players to play bravely in those moments and just didn’t get it.”
The second half reflected a lot of the first half for the Flashes. KSU continued to play well defensively, but just couldn’t generate any scoring opportunities.
The RedHawks finally took advantage of their strong defense and got on the scoreboard. In the 59th minute, senior midfielder Shae Taylor nailed a shot to put the Redhawks up 1-0. The Flashes didn’t manage to convert by the end of play.
“It was a great lesson today that talent doesn’t just win, and they showed us the fight needed to be successful in this league,” Marinaro said.
Junior goalie, Leah Shaffer, had three saves on the night.
Up next
The Flashes head to Columbus to take on No. 4 Ball State Saturday at 4 p.m. The tournament is set to be held at the Columbus Crew Stadium.
The Flashes previously took the win against Ball State 1-0 early in the season. Ball State will enter the playoffs at 10-6-2 overall with a 7-4-1 conference record. Ball State is coming off a 2-1 win over Northern Illinois.
“Ball State is an excellent team and we will give it our best,” Marinaro said. “We will work hard these next couple days to be prepared for the match-up.”
Emily Bezjak is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].