The No. 14 Maroons (10–2–0) faced off against No. 5 Emory (7–1–3) in a tough UAA matchup this weekend. Currently, the UAA has five teams ranked in the top 20 nationally. The South Siders scored two goals in the first half and held onto their lead to upset the Eagles with a 2–1 win. This victory brings Chicago to 1–1 in conference play.
“Coming into this game, we knew we had to come to play with intensity and be ready for a physical battle. Emory is a great team, but we knew if we played well and executed our game plan, we could compete with them,” third-year midfielder Nicole Mullen said.
The Maroons scored first in the 18th minute of the game on a high-pressure free kick. Fourth-year defender and team captain Katie Shivanandan’s serve was deflected by an Emory defender and found its way to the back of the net.
“The first goal really gave us an edge on Emory. That carried through the proceeding lightning delay. It was as a result constant high pressure from our attackers and a quality ball from [Katie] Shivanandan,” fourth-year forward Meghan Derken said.
Following the goals towards the end of the first half, there was a lengthy delay due to lightning strikes in the area. The delay lasted 45 minutes but did nothing to deter the Maroons’ momentum; the South Siders caught the Eagles on their heels and began attacking as soon as the game restarted. Within a few minutes of returning to play, third-year forward Mary Bittner scored off a cross from third-year outside midfielder Julia Ozello. The goal carried Chicago into halftime, up 2–0 against the No. 5 team in the country.
“The second goal was essential to maintaining our momentum. It was a great play by both Julia and Mary,” Mullen said.
In the second half, Emory finally rid the scoreboard of its goose egg. A corner kick was deflected in by a Maroon defender to get the Eagles on the board in the 69th minute.
“Emory’s first and only goal was a fluke. Our team showed their maturity by continuing to just play our game and not get rattle[d] by the goal. We had quality possessions and finished the game strong,” Mullen said.
The Maroons held onto their lead for the rest of the match. Emory ended with 15 shots on goal, while Chicago had just eight. Fourth-year goalkeeper Mallory Morse played the entire game and recorded six saves throughout the match.
“The win set the tone for the rest of the season. We now know that we can play with some of the best teams in the country and be successful,” fourth-year midfielder Sara Kwan said.
The Maroons face Rochester on Friday in another UAA matchup, on their path to the NCAA Tournament. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
