October 12, 2016

Delta Defeats Muskegon, 2-0

Take 9-3 record into final regular season game

Box Score

Muskegon, MI – The Delta College women's soccer team traveled to Muskegon Community College on Sunday to take on the Jayhawks in a Michigan Community College Athletic Association contest that ended with a 2-0 Delta victory.  The win improves Delta's record to 9-3 on the season and 6-3 in the conference.  Muskegon fell to 4-6 overall and 3-5 in MCCAA play.

Just like they did in the 5-0 win at home against Muskegon earlier this year, Delta came out strong and controlled play for much of the first thirty minutes.  Muskegon's Micky Wall made a number of saves in goal to keep DC off the scoreboard but in the 35th minute, the Pioneers were able to break through.  Sophomore Gillian Carroll sent a direct kick into the box where freshman Maddison Jewell put a header into the far post corner of the goal.  It was Jewell's fourth goal of the season and at only 4'11" tall surprised the much taller Jayhawk players with her first career header. 
The score remained 1-0 in favor of the visitors until the 70th minute of play when Leah Johnson drove the ball deep for Delta and sent a quality cross to the far post.  That's where Paige Rendshaw put a shot on goal that was initially saved by a defender.  Rendshaw then fired on the rebound only to be denied by Wall.  The third time was the charm, however, as she drove a low shot past everyone into the back of the net to put the Pioneers up, 2-0.
 

The final minutes of the game were merely possession minutes with Delta playing keep away to preserve the victory. 

"We had a number of sick girls, and they continued to play as hard as possible for the team," said co-head coach Paul Stenglein.  "Their continued intensity and focus on playing better each game is going to have huge benefits as we prepare for the Regional Tournament in New York."
 

Delta next finishes their regular season with a home date against MCCAA foe Ancilla College before traveling to play in the post-season Division III tournament.

"Emotionally it is easy to coast into the tournament, since we have already qualified," said Stenglein.  "But this team isn't willing to let that happen.  They want to make a statement that they aren't going to settle for anything other than our very best."
 

Game time for the final home game of the 2016 is scheduled for 1pm on Sunday October 16th.