After 110 minutes of play and two overtime periods, Friday’s match between the Massachusetts women’s soccer team and the Delaware Blue Hens ended in a 1-1 draw.
A go-ahead goal in the 77th minute off the foot of freshman Jenny Hipp would not be enough for the Minutewomen (1-3-1) to take the match, as Delaware (2-2-2) found a way to tie it up at one in the 83rd. Neither team was able to score a game winner in the remainder of regulation or
A 25-9 shot advantage was the story of the match for UMass, as quality scoring chances, especially near the end, were numerous.
Through both 10 minute overtime periods, though, the Minutewomen just could not find a way to net the Golden Goal.
According to coach Ed Matz, Friday’s draw was a big step in the right direction for a UMass team that is trending upwards.
“It was a very good performance by us in the way that we moved the ball around, the way we passed and the way we played defense,” Matz said. “I think we were pretty good in all facets of the game expect the one that really matters.”
For a Minutewomen team that was hobbled at the beginning of the season, things are clearly starting to come together for the roster as a unit on the pitch.
“The thing I’ve been saying to everybody is just that we need to get healthy, keep maturing as a team and keep growing,” Matz said. “I think that anybody who has watched us is like, ‘wow this is a much different team than what we saw two weeks ago.’”
Hipp’s goal to put the team ahead 1-0 in the 77th minute came as, not only her first of the season but, the first of her young collegiate career.
When asked about the late goal, which was assisted by junior defenseman Paige Kozlowski, Hipp, emphasized how quickly the sequence took place.
“Everything happened so fast, I just saw the ball coming and hoped it would come to me” Hipp said. “When I shot it it felt amazing.”
The freshman from Frankfurt, Germany totaled five shots throughout the match along with two that got on net near the end of regulation and seriously challenged the goalkeeper from Delaware to make game-saving stops.
Although frustrating for sure, Hipp looked at the missed opportunities in a different light following the match.
“I learn from it,” Hipp said. “It’s just motivation for me and makes me want to go out and do the best to help my team on Sunday.”
According to Matz, those opportunities are exactly what the team needs more of moving forward.
“We just have to continue it,” he said. “If we create chances like those every game, I’ll be happy.”
As for Hipp in particular, Matz credits a shift in her role in the system for the offensive outburst.
“We kind of gave [Hipp] a different role today to free her up so we could find her more,” Matz said. “We know that every time we find her, good things are going to happen.”
In net for the Minutewomen, Cassidy Babin only let in a single goal which came off a loose ball that she was unable to corral on a diving play that left the net open.
Her presence between the posts was monumental for UMass though and kept the team in a position to stay within one throughout the entire match.
On three breakaway opportunities with the match knotted at zero in the second half, Babin turned away all three and allowed Hipp to get the team on the board and take the temporary lead.
The defense and Babin as a unit stood strong from there on out for the Minutewomen as Delaware was unable to get off many quality scoring chances throughout the remainder of the match.
Liam Flaherty can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @_LiamFlaherty.
