ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland women's soccer team continues Horizon League play at home against UIC Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. Thursday's game is scheduled to broadcast on ESPN+.
Oakland snapped its seven game win-less streak in a dominating 6-0 win over Green Bay, highlighted by a hat trick by senior
Alexa Sabbagh.
The Golden Grizzlies (2-7-1, 1-0-1 HL) and Flames series is at 3-3-1 overall, including a 3-1 mark at home.
IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE SHOWING
Oakland's six goals against Green Bay is the most scored in a game since 2013 when the Golden Grizzlies defeated Youngstown State, 6-2.
Sabbagh became the first Golden Grizzly to score three goals in a game since
Sydnye Gagner in 2016, when she netted four in a 5-0 win against Chicago State.
GOAL GETTERS
The Golden Grizzlies boast seven goal scorers this season, led by
Alexa Sabbagh with four, with three of those goals coming in Oakland's 6-0 win over Green Bay.
Sami Lopezhas tallied three goals on the year while
Vera Asare,
Jayna Fraser,
Ashley Postma,
Jackie Reilly, and
Macey Wierenga have each recorded a goal
.
HORIZON LEAGUE LEADERS
Sabbagh and Wierenga have tallied a team-best 17 shots on the season, tied for fifth in the Horizon League.
Lopez and Sabbagh have made their way into top-10 in the league in goals scored, sitting ninth and fourth respectively.
Sabbagh has racked-up nine points on the year placing her eighth in the Horizon League
SEASON HIGHS
The Golden Grizzlies recorded 23 shots against YSU (9/16), a season-high by more than double as Oakland tallied 11 shots (twice) earlier this season against Kent State and Stetson.
PRESEASON POLL
Oakland was picked to finish third in the 2021 Horizon League women's soccer preseason poll, announced by the league office on Wednesday and voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Golden Grizzlies welcome back 10 seniors to the squad this season, bringing a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the roster, including graduate student,
Ashley Postma, who returns for her fifth season.
A LOOK AT LAST YEAR
After a canceled 2020 fall season, Oakland competed in a 10-game, conference-only schedule beginning in February. The Golden Grizzlies posted a 5-3-2 record which included a four-game winning streak in the month of March. Oakland was just two of 12 Horizon League teams to play in all 10 games.
The Golden Grizzlies tallied 16 goals on the year, tied for second-most among the Horizon League. Oakland's 1.6 goals per game ties the Golden Grizzlies mark in 2013, and is the best since the 2010 season.
The Golden Grizzlies boasted an impressive eight goal scorers, tied for second-best among league foes.
Oakland racked up an impressive 26 assists, a league-best, with 12 Golden Grizzlies tallying one or more.
Sami Lopez led with a season-best seven assists, second-most in the Horizon League.
Oakland allowed just .90 goals/game, the fewest in 12-plus seasons. Opponents were only able to find the back of the net nine times, the fourth-fewest in conference play.
ALL LEAGUE HONORS
The Oakland women's soccer team had three student-athletes garner All-Horizon League honors as voted on the by league's head coaches.
Sami Lopez and
Kendra Zak earned first team honors while
Emily Penney was a Horizon League All-Freshman Team selection, marking the first time since the 2016 season Oakland has had a student-athlete represented on the first team, and the first time since 2015 two student-athletes have been recognized as first team honorees.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES HONORS
Zak earned 2020-21 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-Region second team honors, while Lopez and Postma earned third-team honors announced by the national office in May.
Zak earned 2020-21 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Third Team honors, becoming the first to accomplish this feat in program history. Zak was also named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Scholar All-Region team in addition to All-North Region Second Team honoree.
