RedHawks Play North London to Exhibition Draw

Zakrzewski nets game-tying goal in final minutes

OXFORD, Ohio – Coming off a record-setting performance in its season opener Saturday, the Miami University women’s soccer team struggled out of the gate Sunday afternoon, but fought back for a 1-1 tie against the North London Galaxy Soccer Club in an exhibition match at Miami Soccer Field. The teams played three 30-minute periods as opposed to the normal 45-minute halves.

Both sides struggled to find the back of the net in the opening 30 minutes despite the Galaxy controlling much of the first period and holding a 3-1 edge in shots, but neither side put a shot on target.

The RedHawks (1-0) awoke in the second period and created multiple scoring opportunities but still could not break the scoreless tie. Miami out-shot North London 5-3 in the stanza and earned a trio of corner kicks.

The Red and White nearly put a tally on the board in the 52nd minute when sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) gathered a ball at the end line and crossed it onto the foot of freshman Katy Dolesh (South Euclid, Ohio), who was open in front of the net, but the ball sailed over the crossbar. Minutes later, Kodiak sent in a corner that went over Galaxy keeper Marisa Oliveira’s head but it landed in traffic and the ’Hawks were unable to punch it home.

“We made some lineup changes in the second period and those were pre-determined, playing three 30-minute periods. We had our lineup set for the first two periods before we went out,” head coach Bobby Kramig said. “Other than that, any coaching we did during the game was getting our kids to start doing the things they did yesterday (a 15-0 win) and doing the things we work on in practice and doing the things that will allow us to play well and hopefully win games. When we did that today, it was in five-minute spurts and it needs to be in 90-minute spurts.”

Just three minutes into the third period, North London’s Jessica Bujouves blasted a shot from outside the box that ricocheted off the crossbar, keeping the game scoreless. Dolesh again had a chance to break the deadlock in the 71st minute but her header went over the goal.

The Galaxy finally dented the scoreboard in the 80th minute when Emilie Campbell gathered a loose ball just outside the box, turned and ripped a bending shot into the far, upper corner of the goal that beat Miami senior keeper Rachelle Boff (Naples, Fla.). With time winding down in the final period, the RedHawks were able to pull even when freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.), who played for the Galaxy before coming to Miami, redirected a pass from junior Sarah Dessfelt (Vellinge, Sweden) with her head to beat Oliveira in the 89th minute, giving Miami a 1-1 draw.

“It’s a preseason scrimmage so it’s not so much about the result but more about the performance and I thought our performance was a little bit flat today,” Kramig said. “We talked about it after the game. We told them to look down at the name on the front of their jersey. It says Miami and every time you put that on you better be ready to play. I didn’t think we had that mindset today.”

The Galaxy held a slight, 13-11, edge in shots and a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal, but the ’Hawks earned five corners to North London’s three. Oliveira finished with a trio of saves while redshirt freshman Kris Gasparovic (Rochester, Mich.), freshman Madison Ryan (Marietta, Ga.) and Boff each played a period in net for the RedHawks. Boff finished with a team-high three saves.

Following the match, the teams participated in a penalty kick shootout as part of the exhibition. The Galaxy won the shootout, 4-3, with Dessfelt, Kodiak and senior Julie Thompson (Glenview, Ill.) converting for Miami.

The RedHawks resume regular-season play Friday, Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. ET against Chattanooga in the Lady Govs Invitational in Clarksville, Tenn.