Addie Chester’s First Goal of Season, Team’s Fourth Shutout of 2022 Keep Girls In Blue Unbeaten
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Tuesday, June 21, 2022) –Indy Eleven’s USL W League side kicked off a two-game Michigan road trip with a 1-0 victory over Kalamazoo FC this evening at Mayor’s Riverfront Park. A goal by Eleven midfielder Addie Chester from 25 yards out early in the second half was all Indiana’s Team needed to improve its unbeaten start to the season to 7W-0L-2D.
The road win also pushed Indy Eleven six points clear atop the Great Lakes Division standings ahead of second place Racing Louisville with only three games remaining for each side. By the time the Girls in Blue return to the Wolverine State for their next match next Friday, July 1, at Detroit City FC, they’ll know whether a win or even a draw in that affair would secure a division title with two games to spare.
The Midwest’s heatwave might have played a part in an opening half hour that produced mostly half chances for both teams, with Indy Eleven holding a slight edge in the quantity and quality of chances but lacking sharpness in the attacking third. As the last quarter-hour of the half arrived it was the Girls in Blue making Kalamazoo’s goalkeeper Nerea Mora sweat, but she stayed cool under pressure to keep the scoreboard at a standstill.
The Indy onslaught began in the 30th minute when midfielder Ella Rogers won the ball back and found forward Maddy Williams, who ripped a left-footed shot that forced Mora into a monster of a leaping save. The ensuing corner kick was eventually cleared to the left corner of the penalty area and the feet of Abby Isger, whose rising shot produced another aerial parry by the Kalamazoo ‘keeper. In the 40th minute, Indy defender Robyn McCarthy had space from 35 yards for a shot that bounced just short of the right post, but Mora’s diving save covered it, and another kick save in traffic off the final action of the half kept the Eleven’s attack frustrated heading into the break.
After the scoreless first half, Indy’s spirit was lifted in the 55th minute courtesy of Chester. The decisive play started with Rogers again intercepting a ball in the midfield before quickly delivering it to Chester in a pocket of space, where she was able to score her first Indy Eleven goal from 25 yards out, bouncing her low effort inside the right post.
After seeing a fair amount of the ball in the first half, Kalamazoo FC forward and Great Lakes Division leading scorer Bailey Korhorn increasingly had the clamps put on her by the Eleven center back duo of McCarthy and Grace Bahr in the second stanza, allowing Indiana’s Team to ride out the remainder of the match without much worry. Indy kept pushing for additional scoring chances, with Williams’ left-footed shot that whistled over the crossbar in the 70th minute and another attempt from the Purdue product from the top of the area in the 89th minute that took a deflection from close range and bounced just wide off the left post for a corner marking the best efforts at an insurance tally. The much-needed shutout was Eleven goalkeeper Mackenzie Wood’s third of the season and the team’s fourth on the campaign.
Indy Eleven will continue its Michigan tour with the afore-mentioned trip to The Motor City to take on Detroit City FC next Friday, July 1. The 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff can be streamed live via ElevenSports.com, while live updates will also be provided on the @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers.
Indy Eleven will close out its 2022 USL W League regular season with home games against the same two Michigan sides, starting with Kalamazoo FC’s visit to the Grand Park Events Center on Sunday, July 3, at 1:00 p.m. Indy Eleven will close things out by taking part in a special USL Championship/W League doubleheader against Detroit City FC on Saturday, July 9, at IUPUI Carroll Stadium. The 2-for-1 ticket for that gameday at “The Mike” – where Indiana’s Team will look to break the attendance record for a women’s soccer match in the Hoosier State of 4,137 spectators – will gain fans admittance to both the 2:00 p.m. women’s kickoff and the 7:00 p.m. men’s nightcap. Tickets for both the July 3 & 9 gamedays are available for purchase at indyeleven.com/wleague-tickets.
To learn more about the newest edition of Indiana’s Team representing the women’s game, visit indyeleven.com/wleague.
2022 USL W League Regular Season – Matchday 9
Kalamazoo FC 0 : 1 Indy Eleven
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Mayor’s Riverfront Park – Kalamazoo, Mich.
Scoring Summary:
IND – Addie Chester (Ella Rogers) 55’
Disciplinary Summary:
ZOO – Laura Maria (yellow card) 21’
Indy Eleven lineup: 1-Mackenzie Wood (GK), 5-Grace Bahr, 10-Milica Bulatovic, 12-Maddy Williams, 13-Jenna Chatterton, 15-Isidora Gajdobranski (22-Greta Kraszula 46’ ), 16-Addie Chester, 17- Emily McCalligett ( 21-Karsyn Cherry 46’), 18-Abby Isger (2-Cassidy Lindley 64’), 23-Robyn McCarthy, 26-Ella Rogers
IND substitutes: 24- Rachel McCarthy, 30-Kate Phillips
Kalamazoo FC starting line-up: 1 Nerea Mora (GK), 2-Grace Labadie, 8- Hannah Thompson, 9- Bailey Korhorn, 13 Anna Stinson, 14-Jenna Little, 21-Mackenzie Ford, 22-Stephania Scafaria, 25-Claudia Schilling, 31- Ariana Stoltzfus, 33-Laura Maria
