Eagles Shutout by Kent State on Senior Day, 3-0

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – A three-goal outburst in a span of seven minutes for Kent State University spoiled Senior Day for the Eastern Michigan University women's soccer team Sunday, Oct. 14, at Scicluna Field. The Eagles (8-6-1; 5-3-0 MAC) dropped their third match in four chances, while the Golden Flashes (10-3-2; 5-2-1 MAC) won their fourth straight.

Eastern Michigan almost took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute off a corner kick, but EMU sent one shot off the goal post and two more were blocked by KSU defenders in front of the net. The complexion of the game quickly changed after that as Kent State opened the scoring with two goals 28 seconds apart in the 27th minute. The Golden Flashes added the game's final tally in the 34th minute to send the Eagles to a three-goal setback, good for the squad's largest margin of defeat this season.

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Jenna O'Dell was forced to leave the game after being run into by a KSU attacker in the first half. She was charged with all three goals before being replaced by freshman Megan McCabe, who played the final 56 minutes. McCabe stopped a pair of Kent State shots in her first-career appearance.

EMU managed just three shots on Golden Flashes' goalkeeper Stephanie Senn, who won her 10th game of the season. Junior Chelsie Oddan and sophomores Angela Vultaggio and Emily Kowalzyk registered the three shots on goal for the Green and White.

Prior to the start of the game, defender Jessica Thomas was recognized on the field in a Senior Day celebration. Thomas played in her 69th-career game Sunday and has started in all 15 contests so far this season.

Kent State went on the attack early in the game as Morgan Mah hit the crossbar with a rising shot in the 10th minute. Then seven minutes later, the Eagles received a corner kick. Junior Cara Cutaia's cross into the box found Kowalzyk, who headed the ball off the goalpost. The ensuing rebound was gathered by Cutaia, whose shot was knocked away by a Kent State player. Oddan took one final shot, but her attempt was also denied by the KSU defense.

In the 26th minute, Eastern Michigan committed a foul in its own end which set up a free kick for Briana Bartolone. Bartolone sent a low shot off the free kick from roughly 35 yards out bouncing into the lower-left corner of the goal to put the Golden Flashes on top, 1-0.

Less than a minute later, Hannah Newhouse flipped a pass up to Stephanie Haugh, who beat an EMU defender to break in on O'Dell. Haugh made no mistake and gave KSU a commanding 2-0 lead.

Then in the 30th minute, a cross into the box by Kent State resulted in O'Dell colliding with a Golden Flashes' forward when both players leapt into the air to play the ball. After a stoppage, O'Dell appeared to be uninjured. However, after Jaclyn Dutton scored her 14th of the season for Kent State, O'Dell gave way to McCabe to finish out the rest of the game.

In the second half, the Eagles were unable to muster any offense, firing a total of seven shots but none on target. A frustrated EMU bunch received a pair of yellow cards in the game as Cutaia was penalized in the 42nd minute and the Eagles' bench in the 60th minute.

The Eagles hit the road for a 7 p.m. matchup with the University at Buffalo Friday, Oct. 19, in Buffalo, N.Y.

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Team Stats

Angela Vultaggio

Chelsie Oddan

Emily Kowalzyk

Cara Cutaia

Eastern Michigan Athletics