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Dayton Shuts Out Fla International 4-0
Dayton Shuts Out Fla International 4-0
Christopher M Rieman
Published by Chris R
09-13-2013
Dayton Shuts Out Fla International 4-0

DAYTON (OH) -- A pair of goals in each half paced the scoring as the Dayton Flyers ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-0 shutout of Florida International on Friday evening at Baujan Field. Juliana Libertin, Nicole Waters, and Ashley Campbell each finished with a goal and assist as UD earned their second clean sheet of the season to improve to 3-4-0. The Panthers fall to 2-4-0.

The Flyer offense did pretty much whatever they wanted in the first 45 minutes, pushing forward with loads of free space to exploit. Winning their share of 50/50 balls in the middle circle, UD pushed forward within the interior and benefited from decent runs off the ball -- toward the flanks or directly on goal.

A weak spot in past matches, the Flyers generated shots on goal. But it wasn't just the quantity; the quality of most chances on frame required a solid save by the FIU goalkeeper. While Dayton wasn't hitting the back of the net, they were making the Panther back line work hard to keep the match scoreless. At times, the Flyers were even a little snake-bitten.

Waters gladly took on overmatched defenders in the offensive third and scissor-cut them on several occasions with quality dribble-drives that caught the opposition flat-footed. Distribution was equally good and several balls found teammates sneaking behind defenders at the far post. With only the goalkeeper to beat, UD couldn't quite finish -- but the shots were well-struck nonetheless.

Over the last 15 minutes of the half, FIU began to wear down from the persistent pressure, choosing to surrender clears out of bounds at the chance of slowing the game and giving teammates an opportunity to re-organize behind the run of play.

On offense, FIU's best scoring chance came on a header that was redirected into a Flyer player standing in the right place at the right time directly in front of the goal mouth. The ball was eventually cleared from danger.

Dayton never became frustrated with their inability to finish -- credit went to FIU GK Paula Zuluaga for coming up huge most of the time. But it was death by a thousand small cuts and all of the hard work paid off in the 35th minute when Libertin tattooed a ball from 18yds out that bent just inside the upper 90 of the far post for the 1-0 Flyer lead. It was one of the best pure strikes of her career.

Meghan Blank made it 2-0 in the 41st minute with a header at the far post off a Libertin corner kick from the left side.

Halftime stats were decidedly one-sided. UD led in shots 17-6, while corner kicks were 4-2.

To their credit, FIU came out and played a much better second half, due in part to their better work ethic and willingness to leg plays out to their conclusion. UD spent the first 10 minutes after the re-start in a bit of disarray, unable to hold their shape, maintain possession, and use the entire width of the field. The Flyer back line also had trouble clearing balls away, and struggled once again on goal kicks that failed to reach the safe zone.

The Panthers were able to stretch the field just enough to find some running room between the 18s, and had a couple chances in the second half to trim the deficit. GK Elizabeth James was forced to challenge beyond the goal mouth a few occasions -- in the most critical moments she got low and slid her mitts onto the ball to gain security.

The Flyer strikers eased up over the next 15 minutes and did not win enough loose balls to take pressure of the mids and backs. While FIU never did score, the on-again/off-again ball-winning mentality in the offensive half of the field remains a work-in-progress.

The latter 15 minutes of the match showcased much better form however as FIU ran out of gas. Campbell cleaned up a low cross at the far post to make the score 3-0 in the 84th minute and basically put the match out of reach.

Freshman Erin O'Malley tallied her first career goal on a 30yd boot from long range that sailed over the FIU goalkeeper to round out the scoring in with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Admittedly the goalkeeper was way out of position, but credit O'Malley for putting something on frame and keeping her honest.

Second half stats reflected a more competitive final 45 minutes, with UD holding an 8-5 edge in shots, while FIU won the battle of corner kicks 3-2.

Nicole Waters continues to blossom and tonight she took another step forward with several excellent challenges on the ball, using her shoulders to push opponents off the ball or tracking back to de-possess the opposition in the defensive third. Her willingness to do thankless grunt work and actually go after the ball rather than wait for the ball to find her is a level of maturity that's tops in her sophomore class.

Junior Kelsey Smigel played cleanup minutes at the end but once again looked hungry for more playing time. She clearly has talent, knows how to finish (a shot hit off the post), and has good size and speed. She needs to get more minutes -- perhaps as a help in the midfield as a ball winner. It's not her natural position, but she has the tool kit to figure it out.

The Flyer back line did enough to register the much-needed shutout, and while one vs. one defending remains iffy at times, the UD defenders covered for one another and kept James from needing a highlight-reel save all evening. Goal kicks continue to be a liability however. The Flyers need another 20 yards despite giving several different players a chance to showcase their leg strength.

Dayton travels across town on Sunday evening for a rivalry match against Wright State. The Raiders are a much-improved program over the last couple of years and while the Flyers haven't lost to WSU since the 1990s, UD must come to play to get the much-needed road win. Dealing with the bazooka foot of Raider GK Brooke McCurdy will be a critical factor in UD's success, and the UD back line must be positioned accordingly to handle it properly.
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