Box Score Grand Rapids, MI – The Aquinas women's soccer team scored a goal in the final six minutes and survived to defeat visiting Lawrence Tech 1-0 on Wednesday night. The 11th-ranked Saints stayed perfect in the WHAC while extending their winning streak. Aquinas has won four in a row, including its last three by a single goal.
Aquinas 1, Lawrence Tech 0
It was a case of better late than never for Aquinas as they avoided an upset bid by the Blue Devils to stay atop the conference standings.
The Saints peppered Lawrence Tech with shots throughout the game but came up empty each time and were unable to find the back of the net.
That was until a superb individual effort from graduate student Kiersen Korienek in the 84th minute finally put Aquinas on the board and provided the thrilling game-winner.
Korienek, who had a team-high eight shots, dribbled past a Lawrence Tech defender, lost the ball and then regained it near the top of the box before firing a shot past the keeper.
The Aquinas defense kept the Blue Devils at bay the rest of the way to secure it.
Senior keeper Kayla Shuk didn't face many shots, but made a key save in the 75th minute to keep the game scoreless.
Madison Slezinski added four shots for Aquinas, while Savannah Reese had three.
Inside the Numbers
- The Saints outshot the Blue Devils 24-6 and had 12 shots on goal.
- Keeper Kayla Shuk recorded two saves.
- Aquinas had a season-high nine corner kicks.
- Fouls: Lawrence Tech (9), Aquinas (8)
Coach's Comments
Head coach Jenna Smith was relieved to finally score the lone goal of the game: "They were pretty stingy and hard to break down and some games are open, and some are not so we took 85 minutes to figure it out, but we will take it either way. They didn't give up and they dug in and they found an answer. Not every win is going to be pretty so we will take this win."
Up Next
The Saints (5-3, 4-0 WHAC) host Lourdes University Saturday at noon in a WHAC matchup. Fans are encouraged to visit AQSaints.com throughout the weekend for live stats, stories, and recaps.
NOTE: Dean Holzwarth, serving as the Senior AQSaints Athletics Reporter & Content Specialist for AQSaints.com, brings decades of journalistic precision and storytelling flair to the Saints' media efforts. Previously, he covered high school sports for five years at Grand Rapids–based WOOD-TV, following a 16-year tenure in sports reporting with the Grand Rapids Press and MLive. His deep experience in capturing the heartbeat of local athletics now fuels his engaging coverage of Aquinas College sports.
