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Despite giving up two goals to Nebraska in the first half, Michigan kept the Cornhuskers scoreless in the second half. This allowed the Wolverines to snag their second win of the season.
In the first half against Nebraska, the Michigan women’s soccer team’s defense struggled to stop the Cornhuskers’ offensive attack, primarily the corner kick. But by stepping up in the second half, the defense propelled the Wolverines to a 3-2 win against Nebraska.
Michigan’s defense was steady early on as it intercepted Nebraska’s passes. However, the ball kept going out of bounds, allowing for Nebraska throw-ins and corner kick opportunities. And just five minutes into the game, the Cornhuskers capitalized on one of these opportunities for the first goal.
“We’re not perfect yet,” Michigan coach Jen Klein said. “We’re trying, but I think in those moments, it’s just about us competing. And Tory (Christ), our assistant coach, does a phenomenal job on prepping us for set pieces, and now it’s the players’ ability to execute what we’re asking.”
After surrendering the early goal, the Wolverines’ defense started to execute. By limiting Nebraska’s possession of the ball, Michigan’s defense helped its offense to ignite, scoring two goals within the next two minutes.
But trouble with Cornhusker corner kicks continued to plague the Wolverines’ defense. Off of a corner in the 16th minute, Nebraska slotted the ball to the bottom center of the net for its second goal.
“I think defensively, we ultimately just needed to take care of some of those moments,” junior midfielder Jenna Lang said. “Both of their goals were off of set pieces, and we knew that we had to compete in the box whenever it came to that. So I think just really focusing on that coming into the second half.”
After their second goal, the Cornhuskers continued to attack, but Michigan’s defense held firm. The Wolverines stopped Nebraska by blocking its shots or forcing the Cornhuskers to shoot off target.
And for Michigan’s defense, an important part of that was making sure its corner kick troubles didn’t continue into the second half. Nebraska started the half with a corner kick, but Michigan’s defense denied the Cornhuskers’ opportunity to score.
However, the Wolverines weren’t just satisfied with stifling corner kicks. Their defense continued to shine as it kept the ball away from the Cornhuskers, allowing Michigan to score a go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute. Nebraska’s lone offensive threat in the second half came in the 65th minute, as midfielder Florence Belzile ripped a shot that was saved by Michigan graduate goalkeeper Stephanie Sparkowski.
“I think a big thing is just being more on the front foot, anticipating a bit more has really helped us,” Klein said. “I think a lot of times that we’ve been more of a reaction instead of an anticipating, being proactive in the way that we’re defending. And I think our ability to do that allowed us to get pressure higher up the field, take advantage of when we did, dictate them into areas that we knew we were capable of winning.”
After a shaky first half, the Wolverines’ defense became proactive in their defending. In doing so, they stifled the Cornhuskers’ offensive attack, allowing Michigan to control possession and eventually overtake Nebraska.
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