MILWAUKEE -- The Alverno College women's soccer team struggled to keep pace with a tough Marian University squad on both offense and defense, but was able to avoid a shutout with a goal late in the second half resulting in an 11-1 Northern Athletics Conference loss at home on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Milwaukee, Wis.
Sophomore forward Ellie LaFond (Waukesha, Wis.) notched the lone goal for the Inferno (2-9, 0-6 NAC) on a breakaway in the 78th minute to close out scoring for the game, finally answering Marian's offensive onslaught that peppered Alverno's goal with 34 shots for the game.
"Coming into today's game we knew it was going to be a tough match with Marian because they've been doing pretty well both inside and outside the conference," said Alverno head coach Angela Zuniga-Meyer, as the win lifts Marian to 7-5 overall (5-2 NAC). "Their offense proved to be a little too much for our defense, but I thought the team steadily improved over the course of the second half. We had a lot more passing combinations and more communication."
Senior goalkeeper Jess Kramer (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) faced the bulk of the action in the net, picking up 12 saves with 10 goals allowed in 57 minutes between the posts before being relieved by junior Joslyn Binkowski (Greenfield, Wis.), who allowed just one goal with five saves in 32 minutes.
"I think Joslyn Binkowski played an outstanding game on the field and in goal for us," Zuniga-Meyer said. "She played very smart, held her spacing well and when she went in goal she only allowed one goal."
The Inferno will have another chance to break out of their current seven-game slide with another NAC contest with Rockford College, who has won just one game so far this season, on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
"As of next week we should be back to full strength with a few of our injured players coming back," said Zuniga-Meyer, whose team has been playing without a few key starters for the past few games. "I feel pretty good going into that game if our team stays healthy."
Tuesday's kick-off time with Rockford is set for 4 p.m. in Rockford, Ill.
