WOMEN’S SOCCER BEATS UNDEFEATED HAVERFORD

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR MEN’S SOCCER On the heels of a four-game winning streak, the Muhlenberg men’s soccer team received votes in a national poll and moved up in the regional rankings. The Mules received six votes in the D3soccer.com national rankings and climbed to sixth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America regional poll. The Mules were tied for eighth last week before defeating Gettysburg, then ranked 10th in the region, on Saturday. All of the Mules wins during their streak have come on the road and by shutout. Muhlenberg has won four in a row by a combined score of 14-0, and has not allowed a goal in 376:16 (corrected 9/30) of action. The Mules have not been nationally ranked since 2006, when they were as high as 12th. Muhlenberg’s next two opponents, Dickinson and Johns Hopkins, are ranked 10th and 14th nationally, and second and fourth in the region. Click here for the complete D3soccer.com poll. Click here for the NSCAA regional rankings.

It’s been nearly two years since the Muhlenberg women’s soccer team lost back-to-back games.

Coming off a loss to regionally ranked Scranton on Saturday, the Mules weren’t about to let that streak come to an end.

Freshman Alyssa Meola was originally credited with the assist on the Mules’ second goal; she did make a pass in the sequence that led up to the goal. (corrected 9/30)

Muhlenberg defeated previously unbeaten Haverford, ranked ninth in the region, 4-2 on Tuesday afternoon to ensure it would not return to campus for Homecoming on a losing streak.

The Mules did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard, as sophomore Meghan O’Grady scored just 2:43 into the game. Her sister, senior Christina O’Grady, sent a low cross from the right side that Meghan put in to give Muhlenberg an early 1-0 lead.

An own goal 13 minutes later tied the score, but the Mules regained the momentum just before halftime. Junior Lauren Petri headed in a cross from senior Kasey Hacker with 36 seconds remaining in the half to make it 2-1. (corrected 9/30)

Muhlenberg came out of the break firing, scoring two goals in the first 11 minutes of the second half, both by senior Kimberly Hacker. In the 51st minute Hacker took a feed from sophomore Nicolette Miller at the 18 and fired it past the diving Haverford keeper.

Six minutes later Christina O’Grady passed to Hacker, who lifted a high shot past the keeper and into the back of the net to give the Mules an insurmountable 4-1 lead.

The win snapped Haverford’s 10-game regular-season unbeaten streak. The Fords’ last loss came to Muhlenberg in the first round of the Centennial Conference playoffs a year ago.
Click here for box score.