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Down a goal in the 86th minute, Michigan women’s soccer senior defender Avery Peters retreated with the ball as Washington forward Samiah Shell followed in close pursuit. Peters looked to reset play by passing to her keeper, but graduate Stephanie Sparkowski anticipated incorrectly and stepped in the opposite direction. The miscommunication was cleaned up easily by Shell, whose calm left-footed strike found the back of the Wolverines’ net.
The error was the nail in Michigan’s coffin.
On Thursday, the Wolverines (2-11-2 overall, 1-6-1 Big Ten) fell 3-1 to the Huskies (7-4-2, 4-3). Washington’s relentless pressure forced miscues from Michigan, which struggled to figure out Washington’s press.
The Huskies came out charging, largely controlling the first half by maintaining possession and presence in the attacking third. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were disconnected. Their lack of execution on cross-field passes handed the ball back to Washington multiple times just when it seemed like they were gaining their footing.
“I thought we were a little bit reactive, a little bit on our heels the first half,” Michigan coach Jennifer Klein said. “A team like Washington, they’re fast paced and they press and they’re gonna run at you.”
Through the first-half struggles, Sparkowski slowed down the Huskies’ dogged pace. In the 18th minute, a Washington pass pinballed between feet directly in front of the Wolverines’ goal before a perfectly positioned Sparkowski jumped on it. Sparkowski followed up the effort with two more point-blank saves in the next eight minutes.
Sparkowski’s three consecutive saves weathered the worst of the Huskies’ first-half attack, and with the early clean sheet intact, Michigan began to punch back. It infiltrated Washington’s defensive third with balls over the top to junior forward Kali Burrell, and leaned on strong ball skills from junior midfielder Jenna Lang. In the 37th minute, Burrell sent a rocket off her right foot past the outstretched hand of Huskies goalie Mia Hamant. But as the Wolverines celebrated their apparent lead, the referees ran to the video monitor. Upon further review, junior midfielder Sierra Sargent was charged with a foul, and the goal was discounted.
But the verdict didn’t discourage Michigan. Despite a new burst of aggression from Washington, the Wolverines carried their clean sheet into the locker room behind another spectacular Sparkowski save.
And out of half, it was Michigan, not Washington, that looked like the more energetic team. In the 49th minute, Sargent played a corner on the ground to Burrell well outside the goalie box. Burrell, noticing Hamant out of position, tucked a high, deep shot into the netting just under the crossbar. This time, Burrell’s strike withstood the agonizingly long review, giving the Wolverines a one-goal edge. Burrell’s timely finish was a step in the right direction for a Michigan offense that has struggled to find its identity throughout the season.
“We’ve been working with (Kali) to be more aggressive on the dribble, more creative higher up on the field,” said Klein. “So, very happy to see her score the goal she did off the set piece.”
Against Washington, Burrell looked like the spark plug the offense had been missing. But that spark wasn’t enough. The Wolverines soon began to lose air in the onslaught of pressure from Washington. The lead lasted barely a minute as Washington forward Ioanna Papatheodorou finally spoiled Sparkowski’s stellar performance with a left-footed strike. And just 13 minutes later, Papatheodorou struck again, this time from the penalty spot.
With its lead in the rearview, Michigan attempted to fight back. The Wolverines seemed to gel in the second half, putting together more consistent attacks.
“I really liked our team’s response coming down in the second half,” said Klein. “I wish we would’ve just started the same in the first half.”
Michigan continued to generate opportunities, including two prime chances for Lang, but the equalizer remained elusive.
And the Huskies continued to run at the tired Wolverines. Michigan’s breaking point came on the miscommunication between Peters and Sparkowski, allowing Shell to tie a bow on the game with an easy, albeit flukey, goal.
The Wolverines’ inability to dictate the game’s pace in Seattle proved to be their downfall as it was Washington’s dynamic pressure that set the tone.
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