Huskies soccer closes out home schedule with pair of downstate opponents
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HOUGHTON -- Just when the Michigan Tech Huskies soccer team appeared to be poised to turn a corner after earning a win and a draw in a pair of games at home against Roosevelt and Purdue Northwest, respectively, things turned right back around in a 4-0 loss on the road to Northern Michigan.
With the loss, the Huskies fell to 1-11-2 overall, and 1-7-2 in GLIAC play.
"We didn’t play well from the start," Huskies coach Melissa Kuhar said. "Gave up the early goal two minutes in, had no energy. We didn’t come out to play.
"We’re kind of going to the drawing boards this week to try to figure out what happened because that wasn’t our team. That wasn’t the product we can put out there from the start, or throughout a game. So, it’s a bit frustrating on our end. I know the girls are frustrated. We just have to rebound and head into a weekend where we have to win games."
The Huskies have struggled to put a full-90 minute effort into games throughout the season. Sunday was not much different from that perspective.
"It’s frustrating," Kuhar said, "It’s disappointing, and that’s kind of what I voiced to our team. They showed our staff, they showed people around the Michigan Tech area that we’re a good team when we can play.
"Then to go to Northern and kind of lay a bit of an egg, and not be able to produce anything. We couldn’t even pass to our own team to keep possession. It’s frustrating, because I know, and they know, we’re a good team. We can’t just not show up to play. We have to be able to raise the level and get to where we need to be to kind of compete in these games."
The Huskies have five points, and trail Ferris State by six points for the eighth and final playoff spot. If Michigan Tech still has playoff aspirations, they need to play with urgency now, according to Kuhar.
"We have to get wins, plain and simple," she said. "They know that. I voiced that to them. This weekend’s going to be huge. We have to get out with some points, whether that’s two wins, ties, anything. We have to get points in both games. So, they know that.
"There’s that pressure of that. On our end, it’s continuing to work on the final third, continuing to kind of build confidence. Even when things aren’t going well, you still have to have some fun, and you have to bring some enjoyment to what you’re doing into the grind."
Kuhar feels that the Huskies have taken significant steps since the start of the season.
"We’ve grown a lot," she said. "The results don’t necessarily show that, but we have grown a ton. They continue to grind. No matter how hard it’s gotten, no matter how many losses keep racking up, they continue to grind.
"I think this past Sunday was just the outlier. That’s not us, our normal energy and vibe. I’m proud of them for that. It’s not easy to lose, and take blows weekend after weekend. But, they’re continuing to work. There’s really been no drama. When losses happen, that’s when the internal stuff can start happening, and we haven’t had that."
Sunday, the Huskies will honor their seniors and their fifth-year players during the final home game.
"They’ve been here since I started," said Kuhar. "They’re a great group. The fifth-years are part of that, but they are a quality group that have seen struggles throughout their time at Tech and have kind of rose to the occasion when they’ve been needed.
"They showcase that blue collar mentality, which is kind of what we try to make our program about. So, it’s nice to kind of see them be able to get honored this weekend and a lot of them will be coming back for a fifth year."
Scouting the Bulldogs
The Ferris State Bulldogs are 5-6-3 this season and 3-5-2 in GLIAC play coming off a weekend where they defeated Saginaw Valley State, 2-0, but lost to Purdue Northwest, 2-0. They defeated Michigan Tech 2-0 back on Sunday, Sept. 27, in Big Rapids.
Junior forward Katherine Welch leads the team with six goals and 15 points. Senior forward Haley Bruckman has five goals and eight points.
In goal, sophomore Korinne Ihrke has been very good, starting all 14 games, sporting a 0.91 goals against average and a .815 save percentage.
Scouting the Rangers
The Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers are 7-5-2 overall and 5-4-1 in GLIAC play after a weekend that saw them fall, 1-0, to Wayne State before defeating Davenport, 1-0.
Junior forward Ava Rizzitano leads the team with seven goals and 16 points. Senior forward Kate Brown has two goals and 11 points. Junior defender Kayden Schmidt is second on the team in goals with four.
In net, sophomore Lindsey Ferrera has started all 14 games. She has a 1.05 goals against average and a .770 save percentage.
Game times
The Huskies and Bulldogs will battle Friday at Kearly Stadium in Houghton at 6 p.m. Sunday, the Huskies and Rangers will meet at 12 p.m.