Women’s Soccer Recap: Miami sits at 2-1-1 with ACC play around the corner

The second year of the Sarah Barnes-era is underway with a 2-1-1 mark following consecutive wins in southeast Texas, a weather-shortened loss to crosstown-rival Florida Atlantic and a draw vs San Diego State.

One week removed from a 6-2 exhibition win over FC Surge on Aug. 15, Miami kicked off 2019 with a 4-0 victory at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Three days later, the Canes took care of business with a 4-1 victory over Farleigh Dickinson in the second and final game of the UTRGV Tournament in Edinburg, Texas.

The Hurricanes were less fortunate in the Aug. 29 home opener, falling 2-1 in an abbreviated affair with Florida Atlantic. Under its second weather stoppage, officials abandoned the non-conference match up in the 76th minute when the most-recent lightning delay surpassed the maximum allotted time limit of three hours.

Miami’s late-game comeback-bid was denied after falling behind 2-0 on the heels of two early FAU goals. The Owls struck immediately when Sammy Vitols connected on a corner-kick goal less than two minutes into the match. Then, in the 13th minute, Vitols fed Elisha Holmes for her first goal of the season, opening up a 2-0 advantage.

Miami sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Speaks withstood the early onslaught, keeping FAU off the board for the remainder of the half despite a 7-2 shot advantage for the Owls.

Less than two minutes into the second half, however, the first weather delay halted the contest. When play resumed, the Canes began seizing control, eventually finding the net in the 63rd minute when an unassisted goal from Maria Jakobsdottir cut the deficit in half.

When the game was stopped for good, Miami held an 8-1 shot advantage over the Owls during the 31-plus minutes of the second half.

Overshadowed by the football team’s trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Miami women’s futbol squad hosted San Diego State (1-3-1) at Cobb Stadium. And despite out-shooting the Aztecs 19-11 overall, with an 8-3 shots-on-goal advantage, the Canes needed an equalizer off the foot of Bayleigh Chaviers in the 83rd minute to force overtime.

In the extra session, Miami out-shot SDSU, 4-0, with two shots on goal, but were unable to find the net, resulting in the 1-1 tie.

Back on Aug. 25, the Canes wrapped up their road trip to the Lone Star State with three first-half goals in a 4-1 win over FDU.

Less than five minutes in, freshman Ine Ostmo found junior Tia Dupont, who blasted a shot off the crossbar that ricocheted across the line for an early UM lead.

Later in the first half, Speaks and freshman defender Mari Horpestad kept FDU off the board with a pair of defensive gems, preserving the 1-0 advantage.

The Canes eventually opened up some breathing room when Ostmo’s second penalty kick in as many games provided Miami with a two-goal cushion. With FDU still reeling, the Canes struck 103 seconds later when Emma Tucker converted a feed from Dupont for a 3-0 lead in minute 40.

FDU managed to hang around thanks to an unassisted goal in the 55th minute, but were unable to get any closer than a 3-1 margin.

Senior Lauren Markwith would add the final nail to the coffin when she took a pass from Fisher and blasted the kick past the Knights’ keeper for a 4-1 score in the 81st minute.

During the August visit to Texas, the Canes outscored the opposition 8-1 over two games, beginning with a 4-0 win over the hosts.

A first-half goal from Kristina Fisher, off a feed by Chaviers, was the contest’s only offense during the first 45 minutes.

The second half was a different story as Chaviers assisted Markwith for a 2-0 Canes’ advantage in the 58th minute. Less than 50 seconds later, Miami made it 3-0 with a penalty kick from Ostmo.

A header-goal by Dupont in the 76th, set up by a Dejah Cason assist, provided the Hurricanes with some additional insurance in their shutout victory over UTRGV.

Up next for the Canes is a Thursday night home contest with Stetson at 7 p.m. Coral Gables’ Cobb Stadium is the place to be, but if you’re unable to make it, ACC Network Extra is scheduled to carry the in-state match up.

This weekend, Miami will visit the Florida Gators on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. That will be the final non-conference tune-up before ACC play opens six days later at Virginia Tech (Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. / ACC Network Extra).

News and notes:

Miami’s Sept. 1 contest at Jacksonville was canceled.