Grace Thomas possesses the ball, in 3-0 WHAC Championship loss to Aquinas
0
Madonna MUWS (14-4-2)
3
Winner Aquinas AQUINAS (14-4-1)
Madonna MUWS
(14-4-2)
0
Final
3
Aquinas AQUINAS
(14-4-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Madonna MUWS 0 0 0
Aquinas AQUINAS 1 2 3

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Zachary Shore

WHAC Championship loss ends season for @MUCrusadersWSOC

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A game 10-years in the making didn't go as planned for the Madonna University women's soccer team in a 3-0 loss to Aquinas College in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Championship at AQ Field on Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders finish the season 14-4-2 while the Saints improve to 14-4-1 and earn the WHAC's second automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The home team, playing in chilly temperatures on a snow-lined field, scored first in the 14th minute as the ball squirted through a few defenders to the feet of Katie Vitella who beat goalkeeper Julia Stewart, who played a phenomenal game, to the lower right corner for the lead.

  • In the 55th minute, Aquinas added another goal from the upper left corner of the 18-yard box and the final tally came in the 64th minute on a quick touch just inside the far post.

  • Stewart played a stellar game in net as she stopped numerous changes, including two from inside six-yards.

INSIDE THE BOX

  • Stewart finished the game with six saves as the Saints attempted 15 shots and put nine on goal while the Crusaders tallied eight shots with two on frame

  • Nicolette Vultaggio, two shots, one on goal, and Megan Verant, two shots, paced the offensive attack

  • Four other players tallied at least one shot while the best scoring change came off the foot of Grace Thomas who blasted a shot from about 20-yards out midway through the first half and the ball sailed just over the crossbar

THE SENIORS

  • The loss ends the careers for five seniors, Emma Camp, Stewart, Alexis Bozinovski, Julia Henning and Olivia Kitz. Camp lost her final season to injury while Stewart will leave the program as one of the best goalkeepers in program history. Bozinovski and Henning played key roles on the offensive front while Kitz helped anchor one of the best defensive units in the country.

MILESTONES

  • Stewart finishes her career in the top-10 in saves (3rd, 253), saves per game (6th, 4.08), save percentage (3rd, .821), goals against average (4th, 0.90), wins (3rd, 37), losses (5th, 13), ties (1st, 7), shutouts (2nd, 32), goalie games played (3rd, 62), goalie games started (2nd, 59) and goalie minutes played (3rd, 5,475).

  • Stewart also recorded 14 shutouts this season to set the program single-season record while her 92 saves are the sixth most in a season while her 21 goalie starts and 1939 goalie minutes played are also single-season marks.

  • The team also recorded top-10 marks for a single-season as they tied last year's mark with 142 points (53g, 36a) to tie for 10th. Their 440 shots are the fifth most in a year while their 246 shots on goal are third all-time. The teams 14 shutouts tied the 2004 team for the single-season mark.

PATTON'S PARLOR

  • "It's always tough to end the season on a loss, especially when you are in the championship match. Give credit to Aquinas, they outworked us and took us out of what we wanted to do. Even though it wasn't our best game, it was a good season. Our seniors deserve credit for setting the one and working hard to lead this season. We have a young group that's ready to step in and hopefully we can use this as motivation to improve going forward." - Second year head coach Paul Patton

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