The Saginaw Valley State University women’s soccer team kicked off their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) campaign with a 2-1 loss to Purdue Northwest at home on Friday afternoon. The Cardinals’ lost to the undefeated Pride (4-0-1, 1-0-0 GLIAC).
Saginaw Valley State dominated corner kicks, 6-2. The Pride, meanwhile, outperformed the Cardinals 8-7 and held a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.
Emma Bradley led the Cardinals’ offense with three shots, while Madi Bajis and Rileigh Garbarz each contributed two. Garbarz’s impressive performance included two shots on goal, one of which found the back of the net.
Purdue quenched their thirst in the first tenth of the game, courtesy of Yoselin Garcia. Garcia received a pass on the left side of the box and unleashed a shot that ricocheted off Cardinal goalkeeper Lainey Garbarz’s hands and into the top corner.
Saginaw Valley State responded in the 24th minute, thanks to a corner kick from Gabby Green. Rileigh Garbarz met the delivery with a powerful header, beating the Pride keeper to level the score.
The decisive goal arrived in the 67th minute, when Nayla Pena struck from the left side of the box, finding the far-right corner of the net to restore Purdue Northwest’s lead. Despite a late surge, rife with corner kicks and free kicks – facilitated by the Pride’s eight second-half fouls – the Cardinals were unable to find the equalizer, ultimately succumbing to their GLIAC opener defeat.
