Madonna University Athletics

LIVONIA, Mich. - Molly Cote scored in the 89th minute to lift Madonna to a 1-0 victory over Rochester Christian on Sept. 27, 2026. Cote converted Marlena Ballnik's assist at 88:16, breaking a scoreless tie and securing the Crusaders' second straight league victory.
Madonna (5-5-0, 2-0-0 league) controlled the attack throughout the match, finishing with advantages of 24-4 in shots, 9-4 in shots on goal and 8-1 in corner kicks. The Crusaders came close to taking the lead in the 19th minute when Canses Gibson struck the crossbar. Cote later put a header on target at 40:21, but Rochester Christian goalkeeper Marissa Brinkman made the save to keep the match scoreless at halftime.

The Crusaders maintained the pressure after the break. Gibson forced another Brinkman save at 47:21, and Nadine Jawad hit the crossbar in the 57th minute. Kennedy Hollerbach added a shot on goal at 77:18, but Brinkman again held firm. Brinkman finished with eight saves as Rochester Christian (2-8-1, 1-2-0) resisted Madonna's sustained attack deep into the second half.

Cote, who entered as a first-half substitute and returned in the 79th minute, immediately gave the Crusaders another threat in front of goal. Brinkman stopped Cote's attempt at 82:51, but the forward broke through less than six minutes later. Ballnik supplied the assist, and Cote finished the decisive chance for her only goal on six shots, three of which were on target. She played 49 minutes and recorded the game-winning goal.

Grace McCormick and Addison Beil preserved the victory with Beil picking up four saves in a split-time shutout. Beil stopped Victoria Kebbe at 20:34 and Ava Fuller at 32:15 before turning away Laila Vanhoorelbeke at 79:49 on Rochester Christian's only shot of the second half. The Crusaders' defense limited the visitors to four total attempts, allowing Cote's late finish to decide the match.

The Crusaders will be back in action at home on Wednesday, September 30th to take on the University of Northwestern Ohio. Kickoff is set for 3:00 PM.