What's That You Say? Saline Girls Soccer Still Undefeated

ANN ARBOR -- Undefeated Saline defeated Pioneer 2-0 to improve to 9-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC Red.

MaKena Means and Sienna Snyder scored for the Hornets on a windy day at Hollway Field.

Saline soccer head coach Leigh Rumbold said the team didn't have a great offensive day, but he called the defense work outstanding.

"The wind was brutal and whenever it's like that it's like the hardest conditions to play in. But we did what we had to do. We stuck in there, ground it out. We created 1 or 2 quality chances and luckily we took it to them," Rumbold said.

It was a back-and-forth contest, but Saline drove the ball deeper and created more controlled scoring chances.

Sadie Walsh kicks the ball as the goalie charges out, and just missed to the left.

With eight minutes left to play in the half, Means made it 1-0.

The play was started by Kaylee Mitzel, who punted to midfield.  Snyder bumped it up to Sadie Walsh, who sprinted up the left flank and crossed it into the middle. Means chipped it past the goalie, caught up to the goalie and tapped it into the goal.

MaKena Means beats the goalie and then catches up to the ball to make it 1-0.

"She put a good ball in. Makena attacked the front post and got there first and and bumped it over the line. It was a huge goal for us," Rumbold said, describing Means' goal. "It sets the tone for us. When she is using her physicality and speed to put the back line under pressure constantly, she can create chances with her play, but she can also force mistakes, create turnovers and we can punish them there."

Saline pressed hard in the second half.

Lanie Tousa is tripped up or she's away for a one-on-one with the goalie.

Speedy sophomore Lanie Tousa was about to speed in for a 1-on-1 with the goalie when she was tripped up - but there was no call.

A few minutes later, Tousa was fouled as she attempted to bring the ball into the box. Kordula Sadek's free kick soared just over the crossbar.

Kordula Sadek fires her free kick just over the bar.

Tousa's shot went off the post and out. Saline scored on the resulting corner kick.

Tousa's speed set up Saline's goal. She raced down the left wing, cut sharply to the middle and fired a shot that the Pioneer keeper deflected off the post and out.

Sienna Snyder heads the corner kick into the goal.

Saline made good on the resulting corner kick. Caylin Mitzel played the ball into the middle and Sienna Snyder went up and headed the ball into the left side of the goal.

"It was a great ball in. It was going into the wind which makes it a more impressive header by Sienna. It wasn't coming at her. It was kind of looped, so she had to generate the power and got just enough to redirect it to the corner," Rumbold said.

Rumbold said it was a big win for the Hornets to win, especially on the road. He said any win over an Ann Arbor school is an important win.

"It's always tight. Neither team wants to lose to the other. It doesn't matter where they are ranked or what their record is. We know whenever we play one of the Ann Arbor schools, it's always a close one," Rumbold said.

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