Grand Rapids, MI – The 24th-ranked Aquinas College women's soccer team produced another outstanding defensive effort and scored a pair of timely goals to knock off Cornerstone 2-0 Saturday in the quarterfinals of the WHAC tournament. The Saints advance to next weekend's semifinals against second-seed Lourdes University, which edged Lawrence Tech 2-1.
Aquinas 2, Cornerstone 0
It was win or go home for the Saints, and they delivered against their crosstown rivals to keep their season and national tournament hopes alive.
Aquinas senior goalkeeper Kayla Shuk and the defense posted their seventh shutout of the season, which includes three in their last four games.
The Saints have won four games in a row and allowed fewer than one goal for the 11th consecutive game.
Aquinas had plenty of scoring chances in the first half but didn't take the early lead until late.
In the 43rd minute, Kiersen Korienek stole the ball from the defender and made a great cross to Aubrey Phenicie, who slid it into the goal to give the Saints a 1-0 advantage at the half.
Aquinas' defense came up big in the 82nd minute as Cornerstone tried to find the equalizer.
Back-to-back corner kicks by the Golden Eagles created a few anxious moments, but senior Olivia Bowling made a goal-saving clear in front of the goal to keep the Saints in the lead.
Minutes later, Korienek and junior Madison Slezinski combined to give Aquinas the breathing room they needed.
Slezinski made a pretty pass to Korienek in the box and she put the shot away while falling to the turf.
The Saints will get a chance at redemption in the semifinals when they face a Lourdes' team that beat them 1-0 on Oct. 4.
Inside the Numbers
- Senior goalie Kayla Shuk had only one save but picked up her seventh shutout of the season.
- Aquinas outshot Cornerstone 21-6 and had seven shots on goal.
- Corner kicks: Aquinas (4), Cornerstone (3)
- Kiersen Korienek led Aquinas with three shots on goal, while Madison Slezinski registered two shots on goal.
- The Saints defeated Cornerstone for the 11th time in their last 12 meetings.
Coach's Comments
Head coach Jenna Smith was thrilled to move into the semifinals after her team's impressive performance: "For us we felt like it was important to get that first goal, although it took a little more time than we wanted to, but we will take it. Anything can happen in a tournament game, and everyone is playing to keep their season alive, so they had us pinned in for a little bit and were getting a few chances, but the girls did a great job of responding and doing what they do best by putting the ball in the net."
Up Next
The Saints (10-5-1) will play on the road in the WHAC tournament semifinals next Saturday against Lourdes University. 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 ten 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.
