Forward Sara Lund slide tackles an opponent during Sunday's blustrious contest. Lund recieved her second yellow card of the season.
Miami University's soccer team battled extreme weather and two Big East Conference opponents Friday and Sunday.
A 3-2 overtime loss to DePaul University began the weekend that ended with a thud when a 50-foot windblown tree crashed to the ground and stopped play in Miami's 3-1 loss to the University of Louisville.
The 'Hawks struck first in Friday's contest when Danielle Hays shot a corner kick over to the head of Brooke Livingston who knocked it into the back of the net past DePaul goalie Kelsey Hoinkes for her first career goal.
With Miami up 1-0, DePaul tripped Miami's Sara Lund in the box, awarding her a penalty kick. She blasted her shot easily past Hoinkes to give the 'Hawks a 2-0 lead. Lund's goal was her fifth on the year making her the MAC's leading scorer.
DePaul answered the goal with a set piece score of its own. The Blue Demons converted on a free kick off a Miami foul to cut the lead in half.
With the score 2-1 at halftime, the game looked to be an offensive shootout. However, no goals were scored in the second period, until only four minutes remained in the game when DePaul capitalized on a costly RedHawk turnover deep in Miami's territory with a chip-shot over the head of MU goalie Krista Pace to tie the game 2-2.
After both teams exchanged scoring chances early in the extra period, DePaul's Morgan Celaya scored after several desperate Miami attempts to clear. The 3-2 lose was heartbreaking for multiple reasons as Miami's starting goalie Krista Pace injured her shoulder.
Head coach Robert Kramig was extremely displeased after the game.
"I wasn't very impressed ... with our performance at all today," Kramig said. "It seemed like we had a tough time settling down and playing our game. We were switching around our players and are still trying to find our grove. We know were good we just need to find a rhythm."
Livingston shared Kramig's sentiment that the RedHawks didn't play to their potential.
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"Today's game was an example of how we have to be mentally tough, play until the last whistle and finish off our opponents by not letting them creep back into the game," Livingston said.
Sunday, Miami faced an even tougher test against Louisville, ranked 26th in the country by Soccer Buzz Magazine.
Once again, the 'Hawks grabbed the early lead with Stephanie Wilson's first goal of her collegiate career. Louisville responded with two goals to take a lead just before Mother Nature stepped in to interrupt the game. Play had to be stopped because a tree fell and the wind became so gusty that it was too hazardous for the players.
When play resumed, Louisville knocked in a third goal in the 81st minute to seal the victory for the Cardinals.
The wind blew so fiercely behind Miami's opponents that it gave Louisville a significant advantage. Cardinal punts flew three-quarters of the way down field while the ball died instantly in the air on all of Miami's clears. With the elements in mind, Kramig was not too upset with the loss.
"There was a lot of goofy stuff going on in the second half that we couldn't help," Kramig said. "I mean it was real tough conditions and I think we're really improving in every aspect."
The 'Hawks now begin a four-game road trip in which they will travel to California and Michigan to finish off their non-conference schedule.
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