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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - A 30-yard strike off the foot of Rachel Radel (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) gave the Tigers the lead for good as they held off tough regional foe Transylvania for a 2-1 victory in non-conference action at Edwards-Maurer Field. A stellar pass back from Emily Murray (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey) set up a free run from Radel, who put the game-winner just underneath the crossbar early in the second half.
In a hard-fought first stanza, the visiting Pioneers controlled the ball for a good portion of the half, but it was a mistake in the back third that resulted in senior Corey Shubitowski (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) stealing the ball atop the 18, and finishing around a stranded goalkeeper.
The Pioneers bounced back in the dying moments before halftime, with a lobbed shot off the foot of Katie Kelly eluding goalkeeper Jordan Bamberger (Solon, Ohio/Ohio) and into the Tiger net for the first conceded goal of 2008. It snapped a 421-minute scoreless streak for the Tiger defense, spanning over the first four games.
In the second half, however, the senior-laden Tigers refocused and came out of the intermission with a renewed flair, capped off by the Radel strike. The Tigers limited the Pioneers to one shot the rest of the way, as they picked up their first win since moving up to sixth in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
The Tigers now hit the road for three straight matches, all against strong regional opponents. The road work begins Saturday, Sept. 13 at Centre College with a 5 p.m. opening kickoff.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant