The Mountaineers traveled to Mount Pleasant Friday defeating Central Michigan 3-1.
App State couldn’t find an offensive rhythm throughout the first half as they were unable to find a goal and entered the third quarter trailing the Chippewas 1-0.
The Black and Gold found a spark early in the second half as sophomore forward Bridget Donovan took a feed from freshman midfielder Florine Koopman off of a penalty corner, finding the back of the cage to tie the game at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.
“I was really happy that the team was able to earn a corner and start the second half on a good note,” Donovan said. “Momentum really shifted to start the half and I am thankful that I was in the right place to score. I’m very happy we got the win today.”
The Mountaineers continued to find scoring opportunities early in the second half, surpassing their first half total of nine shots with 11 in the third quarter alone.
Sophomore midfielder Lise Boekaar gave App State a 2-1 lead early in the fourth quarter by notching her first goal of the season in the 45th minute. The Mountaineers added to their lead with a goal in the 48th minute off of a connection from Donovan to freshman midfielder Noa Ginjaume Matas. The goal was Ginjaume Matas’ first of her career, and made her the sixth Mountaineer to reach said milestone this season.
“It was a bit emotional for me with it being my first goal at App State,” Ginjaume Matas said. “As a team, we had more shots and more corners than them, so me being able to capitalize on the team’s successes is special to me.”
The assists from Koopman and Donovan extended the Mountaineers MAC leading assist tally to 21.
After conceding a first quarter goal, the Black and Gold did not allow Central Michigan to put up a single shot for the remainder of the game. App State won the game 3-1 and improved to 6-4 on the season.
The Mountaineers stayed in Mount Pleasant Saturday, defeating Lindenwood 3-1 in a neutral site game. This was the second ever contest between the two teams, with App State picking up the win 4-1 in their initial matchup last season.
App State took an early 1-0 lead as Koopman picked up her third goal of the season off of a penalty corner.
“I’m proud of the way we played this weekend,” Koopman said. “The defense was great, and we were able to turn our defense into offense all game. It was a great team effort both yesterday and today.”
Boekaar added a goal early in the second quarter, and Ginjaume Matas gave the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead with a goal of her own in the fourth.
“It was important for us to have play good this weekend after losing two last week, and we did that with the two wins,” Ginjaume Matas said. “I hope to continue putting more goals on cage and helping my team win any way I can.”
Lindenwood found a goal in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers generated numerous scoring chances throughout the game, totaling 23 shots and holding the Lions to 12.
App State graduate student and goalkeeper Addie Clark picked up four saves in the game, and only allowed two goals over the weekend road trip. The Mountaineers secured the 3-1 victory and improved their record to 7-4.
The Black and Gold return to Boone Friday for a matchup with Kent State at 3 p.m.