ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland Golden Grizzlies lost to Northern Ky. in a high-octane match on Sunday at Oakland Soccer Field.
The Golden Grizzlies continued a streak of getting high-quality looks, putting seven of their nine shots on goal for the second straight match, but the Norse finished with a 14-9 shot advantage and benefitted from a late goal to bury Oakland.
Oakland generated the first sustained pressure of the half, getting off shots from
Isabella Bierod,
Bailey Giddings and
Emma Smith along with two corner kicks in the opening 13 minutes.
Maryn Weiger helped keep the match scoreless through an NKU push, saving Erykah Cornett's shot in the 18th minute as Oakland dealt with multiple corners and attempts.
The Norse broke through in the 36th minute, when Megan Molner scored with assists from Emma Gianino and Kylie Anderson to put the Golden Grizzlies behind 1-0. Oakland answered the goal with a
Bailey Giddings shot saved in the 38th minute and a corner kick in the 42nd, but the Golden Grizzlies went into halftime trailing 1-0 despite generating most of the offense in the match thus far.
Oakland absorbed an NKU push early in the second half that included three corner kicks and four shots from the 47th minute to the 58th, with
Maryn Weiger making a miraculous save on Kylie Anderson's attempt, diving to tap the shot just above the crossbar, to keep the deficit at 1-0.
Oakland then generated pressure of its own, getting a
Bailey Giddings shot and back-to-back corner kicks before Weiger added another save in the 70th minute.
Nicole Grimaldo brought Oakland level in the 72nd minute, converting a penalty kick to tie the match at 1-1for her first career goal and a much-needed equalizer.
After Grimaldo's equalizer,
Sophie Schultz put a shot on frame that Donna Bundy saved, and
Brae Cole missed high in the 82nd minute.
The Norse delivered their own clutch goal in the 83rd minute when Anderson scored off an Emma Gianino assist, and the Golden Grizzlies finished the half on the short end of a 2-1 final score.
Nicole Grimaldo scored Oakland's goal, converting her lone shot and penalty attempt for an unassisted game-tying goal.
Bailey Giddings led Oakland with three shots and put two on goal.
Isabella Bierod placed both of her two shots on frame.
Maryn Weiger played all 90 minutes in goal and finished with four saves.
Up next, the Golden Grizzlies host Detroit Mercy in the season finale on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. at Oakland Soccer Field in Rochester, Michigan.
