Freshmen Come Up Big In Season Opener As Malone Records 3-1 Win Over Goshen

The Malone University women’s soccer team, led by second-year head coach Leta Gramlich, began its 2009 campaign on Friday evening in Goshen, Indiana with a 3-1 victory against Goshen College.  The Pioneers received immediate contributions from their large group of 2009 newcomers in the contest as all three of their goals and two of their three assists came from members of Malone’s sizable freshmen class. 

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage after scoring in the third minute of play and then tacked on two more scores midway through the second period to take a commanding 3-0 lead.  Goshen got on the scoreboard with a penalty-kick goal in the final minutes but it was not enough to overcome the sizable deficit as the Pioneers went on to record the non-conference win.  Following the season-opening triumph, Malone’s record stands at 1-0 while Goshen falls to 1-2.

Freshman forward Holly Stuchell (Good Shepherd School) put Malone on top 1-0 at the 2:40 mark of the opening frame after scoring her first collegiate goal off an assist from sophomore midfielder Susanna Jonkka (Helsinki, Finland).  The Pioneers then maintained a one-goal advantage until midway through the second half when they put the contest out of reach with a pair of quick scores.  Freshman defender Kaitlin Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) assisted freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA) on a breakaway goal at the 60:06 mark.  Less than five minutes later (64:22), freshman midfielder Jennifer McFadden (Massillon Washington H.S.) wrapped up Malone’s scoring after tapping in a corner kick from freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.).

Freshmen goalkeepers Ashley Kuhn (North Royalton H.S.) and Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) also played well in their Malone debuts as the duo combined to make five saves.

The Pioneers will now be idle until next Saturday (9/12) when they travel to Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College for a 7:00 p.m.  American Mideast Conference match against the Raiders. 

Pioneers Begin Conference Play With 1-0 Victory At Roberts Wesleyan

The Malone University women’s soccer team picked up a hard-fought 1-0 victory on Saturday evening in its American Mideast Conference opener at Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College.  Pioneer junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA) posted the only score of the night early in the second half off a pass from her sister, freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA).  This lone goal that occurred in the 59th minute of action proved to be all the Malone defense would need as freshman goalkeeper Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) picked up her first career shutout after holding the Raiders off the scoreboard for the full 90 minutes of play.  The Pioneers’ record improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the AMC with the win while Roberts Wesleyan dropped to 1-3-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Nutial stopped all three shots on goal that she faced on Saturday and has yet to give up a goal through the first two matches of her collegiate career.  After playing their first two contests of the year on the road, the Pioneers will return home on Saturday (9/19) to face Shawnee State University (1-2 overall, 0-0 AMC) in a 2:00 p.m. match (Malone was originally scheduled to travel to Ohio Christian University on Wednesday, but that match has been postponed until October 22nd).

Malone Remains Undefeated With 1-0 Triumph Over Shawnee State

The Malone University women’s soccer team stretched its season-opening winning streak to three matches on Saturday afternoon as it claimed a 1-0 shutout victory in its home opener against American Mideast Conference foe Shawnee State University.   For the second straight contest, junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA) notched the game-winning score as she found the back of the net just over three minutes into the second half.  The goal, which was assisted by both freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA) and freshman midfielder Cassandra Daniels (Massillon Washington H.S.), proved to be all that freshman Malone goalkeeper Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) and the rest of the Pioneer defense would need as the hosts held the Bears off the scoreboard over the full 90 minutes of play.  With the win, Malone improved its record to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the AMC while Shawnee State fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

The Pioneers held an 8-5 advantage in total shots on goal in the contest as Nutial made five saves to record her second career shutout.  Nutial has yet to surrender a goal through the first 255 minutes of her collegiate career. 

Malone, which has allowed just one goal in its first three matches, will look to stretch its season-opening winning streak to four on Tuesday as the squad hosts the University of Rio Grande in a 3:00 p.m. match.

Pioneers Remain Undefeated With 3-0 Shutout Of Rio Grande

The Malone University women’s soccer team extended its season-opening winning streak to four games on Tuesday afternoon with a 3-0 victory at home against the University of Rio Grande.  The Pioneers scored in the 14th and 25th minutes to take a 2-0 halftime advantage and then put the game out of reach with a third goal midway through the final frame.  Malone, which has now recorded three consecutive shutouts, improved to 4-0 with the non-conference victory while the Red Storm fell to 1-4-1.

Freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) got the Pioneers on the scoreboard early in the opening period after finding the back of the net off a cross from freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA).  Freshman midfielder Cassandra Daniels (Perry H.S.) then pushed the hosts’ advantage to 2-0 a little over 10 minutes later after tapping in the rebound from a Heckman shot.

Freshman forward Lisa Tonelli (Cornerstone Christian Academy) capped the scoring in the 78th minute after tallying a breakaway goal off a pass from freshman forward Holly Stuchell (Good Shepherd School).

Malone held a substantial 18-4 advantage in total shots on goal in the match as freshman goalkeeper Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) stopped all four shots that she faced to record her third consecutive shutout.  Nutial has now logged 345 minutes in front of the net this season without surrendering a goal.

At 4-0, Malone is off to its best start since 2001.  The Pioneers will aim to make it five in a row on Saturday evening when they travel to NAIA #12 Indiana Wesleyan University for a 7:00 p.m. match.

Malone’s Season-Opening Winning Streak Snapped With 5-0 Loss At NAIA #12 Indiana Wesleyan

The Malone University women’s soccer team suffered its first defeat of the 2009 campaign on Saturday evening with a 5-0 loss at Indiana Wesleyan University.  The Wildcats, ranked 12th in the most recent NAIA National Poll, held a commanding 4-0 lead at intermission and then tacked on an insurance goal midway through the second half to cement the victory.  The loss snapped the Pioneers’ streak of four straight wins to start the year, dropping Malone’s record to 4-1 overall.  IWU, meanwhile, improved to 6-1-1 with the non-conference triumph.

The hosts held a 10-2 advantage in total shots on goal in the match as Pioneer keeper Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) made five saves.

The Pioneers will look to bounce back on Tuesday afternoon when they return to American Mideast Conference action with a 4:00 p.m. match at home against Cedarville University.

Pioneers Drop 2-0 Decision To Cedarville

The Malone University women’s soccer team suffered its first American Mideast Conference loss of the season on Tuesday afternoon with a 2-0 home setback to Cedarville University.  The visiting Yellow Jackets scored goals in the 17th and 34th minutes and then clamped down on the defensive end in the second half en route to the shutout victory.  Malone dropped to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the AMC with the hard-fought defeat while Cedarville improved to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play.

The Pioneers held an 8-6 advantage in total shots on goal as freshman keeper Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) made four saves.

Malone will look to bounce back on Saturday when it travels to Daemen (NY) College for a 2:00 p.m. AMC match.

Malone Drops 1-0 Decision To Daemen

The Malone University women’s soccer team fell 1-0 on the road Saturday afternoon in an American Mideast Conference match at Daemen (NY) College.  The Wildcats found the back of the net with the lone goal of the match in the 60th minute of play and then held the Pioneers off the scoreboard over the remainder of regulation to record the shutout victory.  Malone’s record dropped to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the AMC following the hard-fought defeat while Daemen improved to 4-5-1 overall and 2-2-1 in the conference.

The Pioneers held an 8-4 advantage in total shots on goal as freshman keeper Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.) tallied three saves on the afternoon.

Malone will look to bounce back on Tuesday afternoon as the squad hosts local rival Walsh University (2-5-2 overall, 2-4 AMC) in a 1:00 p.m. match.

Pioneers Suffer 2-1 Loss To Walsh In Overtime

The Malone University women’s soccer team endured a 2-1 overtime loss at home to local rival Walsh University on Tuesday afternoon.  The Pioneers held a 1-0 lead at intermission as freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) scored midway through the opening stanza after lofting a shot just over the reach of the Walsh keeper off a pass from freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA).  Malone then maintained its one-goal advantage until the 77th minute when Walsh forward Amanda Patrick found the back of the net, knotting the match at 1-1.  The score then remained deadlocked over the final 13 minutes of regulation and the first five minutes of overtime before Patrick struck again, winning the American Mideast Conference match with a goal at the 95:43 mark.  The hard-fought defeat dropped the Pioneers’ record to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the AMC while the Cavaliers improved to 3-5-2 overall and 3-4 in the conference.

Walsh held a 13-8 advantage in total shots on goal in the match as Malone keeper Sam Brown (Sr., Butler, PA) made 11 saves in her first start of the season.

The Pioneers will look to bounce back on Saturday as they continue AMC play with a 12:00 p.m. home match against Ursuline College (7-3 overall, 1-3 AMC).

Pair of Second-Half Goals Lift Malone To 2-0 Victory Against Ursuline

The Malone University women’s soccer team picked up a 2-0 American Mideast Conference victory at home on Saturday afternoon over visiting Ursuline College.   Pioneer freshman midfielder Jennifer McFadden (Massillon Washington H.S.) broke a scoreless tie in the 64th minute after drilling home a cross from freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA).  Junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA) then pushed the hosts’ advantage to 2-0 less than ten minutes later after heading in a free kick from sophomore midfielder Susanna Jonkka (Helsinki, Finland).  These two scores were more than enough for senior goalkeeper Sam Brown (Butler, PA) and the rest of the Pioneer defense as the Arrows were limited to just five shots in the match.  The victory improved Malone’s record to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the AMC while Ursuline fell to 7-5 overall and 1-5 in the conference.

The Pioneers held an 8-3 advantage in total shots on goal on the afternoon as Brown stopped all three shots that she faced to record her seventh career shutout.

Malone returns to action on Wednesday with a 4:00 p.m. AMC match at Notre Dame (OH) College (6-5 overall, 3-2 AMC).

Late Goal Carries Notre Dame Past Pioneers, 1-0

The Malone University women’s soccer team lost an American Mideast Conference match on the road to Notre Dame (OH) College Wednesday afternoon by a final tally of 1-0.  The host Falcons broke a scoreless tie with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation after heading the game winner into the net off a corner kick.  The hard-fought loss dropped the Pioneers’ record to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the AMC while Notre Dame improved to 7-5 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

Malone held a slim 8-7 advantage in total shots on goal in the contest as Pioneer keeper Sam Brown (Sr., Butler, PA) made six saves.

Malone will return to action on Saturday when it travels to Houghton, New York for a 5:00 p.m. match at NAIA No. 25 Houghton College (9-1-2 overall, 6-1 AMC).

NAIA #25 Houghton Edges Malone, 1-0

The Malone University women’s soccer team came up just short in its upset bid of NAIA #25 Houghton College on Saturday afternoon as the Pioneers fell 1-0 in an American Mideast Conference match held in Houghton, New York.  The Highlanders netted the only goal of the afternoon on a penalty kick in the 17th minute.  Although the Pioneer defense held firm the rest of the way, the visitors were unable to match the Houghton score as the Highlanders held on for the narrow victory.  The hard-fought defeat dropped Malone’s record to 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the AMC while Houghton improved to 11-1-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

Houghton held a 12-4 advantage in total shots on goal as Pioneer keeper Sam Brown (Sr., Butler, PA) made 11 saves.

Malone will return to action on Tuesday with a 3:00 p.m. non-conference match at home against NCAA Division II Lake Erie College (6-6-2 overall).

Amanda Hanlon Scores In Double Overtime To Give Pioneers 2-1 Victory Against Lake Erie

The Malone University women’s soccer team picked up a 2-1 non-conference win at home on Tuesday afternoon over NCAA Division II Lake Erie College as Pioneer freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (pictured to the left; Willoughby South H.S.) scored just over four minutes into the contest’s second and final overtime period to break a 1-1 tie.  After receiving a pass from junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA), Hanlon fired a shot that deflected off a Storm defender and into the net, giving Malone the thrilling triumph.  The Pioneers’ record improved to 6-6 overall with the win while Lake Erie’s overall mark dropped to 6-8-2.

Malone trailed Tuesday’s contest 1-0 at intermission as the visitors got on the scoreboard in the 11th minute of play when a Lake Erie shot was redirected off a Malone defender and into the net.  The Pioneers knotted the contest at 1-1 less than two minutes into the second frame when freshman defender Alyssa Foldesy (North Olmsted H.S.) tallied her first career goal on a free kick.  The score then remained deadlocked over the remainder of regulation and one overtime period before Hanlon delivered the game winner with less than six minutes to play.

Malone held a substantial 15-4 advantage in total shots on goal as Pioneer keeper Sam Brown (Sr., Butler, PA) went the distance in front of the net, making three saves.

Malone will return to action on Thursday when the squad travels to Circleville, Ohio for a 4:00 p.m. non-conference match against Ohio Christian University (2-1-1 overall).

Postseason Picture: The top six finishers in the final American Mideast Conference regular season standings qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament.  The AMC’s  regular-season champion receives one of the conference’s two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The conference’s second bid will then go to the winner of the six-team AMC tournament (Should the regular-season winner reach the conference tournament championship game, then its opponent in the title game will receive the second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament).  Seeds one and two will receive first-round tournament byes with the quarterfinals (#6 seed at #3 seed, #5 seed at #4 seed) slated for November 7th.

With an AMC record of 3-5, Malone is currently tied for eighth in the standings, three points behind Notre Dame College and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University who are tied for fifth place.  However, with three AMC contests remaining on their schedule (home vs. Carlow (PA) University on Oct. 24, at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Oct. 27, and at Point Park (PA) University on Oct. 31), the Pioneers are still very much alive in the hunt to qualify for the conference tournament.

Malone Rolls To 11-0 Victory Over Ohio Christian

The Malone University women’s soccer team scored eight second-half goals to pull away for a convincing 11-0 non-conference victory at Ohio Christian University on Thursday afternoon.  Eight different Pioneers scored in the match as the squad recorded its highest goal output since a 13-0 victory over Kentucky Christian University on September 27th, 2007.  The win improved Malone’s record to 7-6 overall while the Trailblazers dropped to 2-2-1.

The Pioneers opened the scoring at the 10:20 mark of the first half when freshman midfielder Cassie Daniels (Perry H.S.) scored off a pass from freshman forward Jasmine Evans (Lexington H.S.).  Freshman defender Kaitlin Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) then made it 2-0 in the 25th minute after finding the back of the net off an assist from freshman forward Angie Nutial (Marlington H.S.).  Sophomore midfielder Susanna Jonkka (Helsinki, Finland) later added an unassisted goal to push the Malone lead to 3-0 at intermission.

It was all Pioneers in the second half as the visitors received two goals apiece from Evans and Nutial in addition to solo tallies from freshman forward Lisa Tonelli (Cornerstone Christian Academy), freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.), freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA) and freshman defender Sarah Grove (Louisville H.S.). 

Evans and Nutial each had particularly outstanding afternoons as Evans finished with two goals and three assists while Nutial recorded two goals and one assist.

The Pioneers held a dominating 29-1 advantage in total shots on goal.  In her first career start, freshman goal keeper Ashly Kuhn (North Royalton H.S.) notched one save to record the shutout.

Malone will look to extend its winning streak to three matches on Saturday as it returns to American Mideast Conference play with a 12:30 p.m. contest against Carlow (PA) University (4-10 overall, 1-7 AMC).

Postseason Picture: The top six finishers in the final American Mideast Conference regular season standings qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament.  The AMC’s  regular-season champion receives one of the conference’s two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The conference’s second bid will then go to the winner of the six-team AMC tournament (Should the regular-season winner reach the conference tournament championship game, then its opponent in the title game will receive the second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament).  Seeds one and two will receive first-round tournament byes with the quarterfinals (#6 seed at #3 seed, #5 seed at #4 seed) slated for November 7th.

With an AMC record of 3-5, Malone is currently ninth in the standings, six points behind Shawnee State University, Notre Dame College and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University who are all tied for fourth place.  However, with three AMC contests remaining on their schedule (home vs. Carlow (PA) University on Oct. 24, at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Oct. 27, and at Point Park (PA) University on Oct. 31), the Pioneers are still alive in the hunt to qualify for the conference tournament.

Pioneers Blank Carlow 4-0

The Malone University women’s soccer team picked up a 4-0 American Mideast Conference victory at home on Saturday afternoon over visiting Carlow (PA) University.  The Pioneers took command of the match with three first-half scores and added an insurance goal in the opening minute of the final stanza to cement the victory.  Malone’s record improved to 8-6 overall and 4-5 in the AMC with the win while the Celtics dropped to 4-11 overall and 1-8 in conference play.

Freshman forward Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA) turned in an outstanding individual effort as she contributed on three of Malone’s four scores, totaling two goals and one assist on the afternoon.  Heckman delivered the first score of the match in the seventh minute off a pass from freshman midfielder Jennifer McFadden (Massillon Washington H.S.).  Then, just eight minutes later, Heckman assisted freshman midfielder Cassandra Daniels (Perry H.S.) on a goal to push the hosts’ lead to 2-0.

Freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) wrapped up the first-half scoring just before intermission with her team-leading fifth goal of the season.  Sarah Heckman struck again 45 seconds into the second half, stretching the Pioneers’ advantage to 4-0 after finding the back of the net off a pass from her sister, junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA).

These four goals were plenty for senior goal keeper Sam Brown (Butler, PA) as she tallied three saves for her second shutout of the season.  Brown has now made 37 saves and allowed just five goals in her six starts this year (0.80 goals against average).

Malone will return to action on Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. with an important AMC match at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (8-5-1 overall, 6-3 AMC).

Postseason Picture: The top six finishers in the final American Mideast Conference regular season standings qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament.  The AMC’s  regular-season champion receives one of the conference’s two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The conference’s second bid will then go to the winner of the six-team AMC tournament (Should the regular-season winner reach the conference tournament championship game, then its opponent in the title game will receive the second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament).  Seeds one and two will receive first-round tournament byes with the quarterfinals (#6 seed at #3 seed, #5 seed at #4 seed) slated for November 7th.

With an AMC record of 4-5, Malone is currently tied for eighth in the standings, five points behind Cedarville University and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College, who are tied for fifth place.  With two AMC contests remaining on their schedule (at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday and at Point Park (PA) University on Saturday), the Pioneers are still alive in the hunt to qualify for the conference tournament but will need to win both of their remaining games and then get some help in other AMC matches.

Malone Eliminated From AMC Postseason Contention With 2-0 Loss At Mt. Vernon Nazarene

The Malone University women’s soccer team suffered a 2-0 American Mideast Conference loss at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday afternoon as the host Cougars broke a scoreless tie by scoring a pair of quick goals in the first 11 minutes of the second half.  The Pioneers outshot MVNU 7-4 during the final frame and held a 12-6 advantage in total shots for the match but Malone was unable to get on the scoreboard, falling by the 2-0 final.  The loss eliminated the Pioneers from AMC postseason contention while dropping Malone's record to 8-7 overall and 4-6 in the conference.  The win secured a playoff berth for MVNU as the Cougars improved their record to 9-5-1 overall and 7-3 in AMC play.

After a scoreless first half, Mt. Vernon Nazarene jumped ahead 1-0 just 22 seconds into the second frame and then tacked on a second score a little over 10 minutes later.  Malone held a 6-4 advantage in total shots on goal as senior goalkeeper Sam Brown (Butler, PA) made two saves.

The Pioneers will conclude their regular-season schedule on Saturday as they travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a 2:00 p.m. contest against Point Park University (2-12-1 overall, 0-9-1 AMC).

Postseason Picture: The top six finishers in the final American Mideast Conference regular season standings qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament.  The AMC’s  regular-season champion receives one of the conference’s two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The conference’s second bid will then go to the winner of the six-team AMC tournament (Should the regular-season winner reach the conference tournament championship game, then its opponent in the title game will receive the second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament).  Seeds one and two will receive first-round tournament byes with the quarterfinals (#6 seed at #3 seed, #5 seed at #4 seed) slated for November 7th.

With an AMC record of 4-6, Malone is currently tied for ninth in the standings, five points behind Cedarville University and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College, who are tied for fifth place.  With just one AMC contest remaining on their schedule (at Point Park on Saturday), the Pioneers will be unable to climb into one of the top six spots in the conference standings and, therefore, will not qualify for the AMC Postseason Tournament.  However, the squad could still potentially compete in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) playoffs.  Information on possible NCCAA postseason opponents and competition dates has yet to be announced.

Pioneers Conclude Season With 1-0 Victory At Point Park

The Malone University women’s soccer team picked up a 1-0 American Mideast Conference victory on Saturday afternoon at Point Park (PA) University as junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA) scored the lone goal of the match in the 67th minute of play.  With the win, Malone ended the season with a 9-7 overall record and 5-6 mark in the AMC while Point Park concluded its 2009 campaign at 2-13-1 overall and 0-10-1 in the conference.

Despite wet and muddy field conditions, Malone out-shot PPU 38-2 and held a 25-2 advantage in total shots on goal.  After a scoreless first half, the visitors pulled ahead for good midway through the final frame with Heckman’s unassisted goal.  Malone’s defense held Point Park in check throughout the match as keeper Sam Brown (Sr., Butler, PA) stopped both shots that she faced to record her third shutout of the season.

Notes: In the 14-year history of the program, Malone has now tallied a total of 12 winning seasons...The Pioneers finished ninth out of 12 teams in the AMC regular-season standings, just three points behind Walsh University and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College, who tied for fifth place and therefore earned the conference’s final two playoff spots…Malone totaled seven shutouts this year and ended the season with a 0.99 goals against average…In her eight starts this season, Brown allowed just seven goals for a 0.85 goals against average.