MILWAUKEE – Another page is being turned for Mount Mary University soccer. The Blue Angels (8-7) made it into the MMU annals by tying school records and made their own mark as they broke records during the memorable 2016 season.
Although it was a bit of a slow start for the Blue Angels soccer team, some stiff competition early led to a strong finish for MMU. After losing the first two games of the season, the Blue Angels traveled to Eureka College to take on the Red Devils (1-14-1).
As if symbolically getting the offense rolling for the underclassmen, Becky Onan (Jr./Grafton, Wis.) broke the 0-0 stalemate with a goal at 29:22 into the first half. After that, the offense picked up. In the next 13 minutes of that game, the Blue Angels launched three more uncontested goals. An additional goal at the end of the game gave MMU their first victory of the season with a 5-1 win over the Red Devils.
The move to place Onan into the field paid off in solidifying both ends of the field for the Blue Angels. Last year's saves leader on the team and the Great South Athletic Conference, Onan moved away from the goal to help bolster the rest of the defense. As Hannah Rose (Fr./Jeromesville, Ohio) stepped up to the challenge of collegiate goal keeper, the new look parlayed into four shutouts and allowed opposition to only score 2.14 goals per game; MMU allowed 6.00 in goals against average in 2015.
"We talked about creating more goal scoring chances and defending better as a team," Mount Mary Head Soccer Coach Jon Gulrajani said. "I think we really hit these goals; we tied the school record for wins, we competed in every game, we scored more goals and held opponents to fewer goals. We had a great deal of success and that is a reflection of the players hard work all season and believing than could achieve their goals."
A much sharper offense, the Blue Angels scored 41 goals in 2016 and spread that scoring across the lineup. In fact, this was the first time in school history two freshmen scored 10 or more goals in the same season; Kaeli Stellings (11) and Allison Klotz (13).
MMU went 4-3 over their next seven games. In that span the Blue Angels again made school history as their win over Lakeland on Sept. 18 was the first win over the Muskies since beginning the program. The win also meant that the Blue Angels tied the school mark for wins over NCAA teams.
A week later, the Blue Angels hosted Finlandia. MMU again made school history with the 3-0 win over the Lions by setting the new school mark for wins over
NCAA schools (4). The win was also the first time in six season, only the second time in program history, that the Blue Angels posted back-to-back wins against NCAA teams.
After a lopsided 6-0 loss to Grace Bible, the Blue Angels bounced back less than 24 hours after the long journey to Berrien Springs, Mich. MMU posted incredible performances up and down the lineup against their next opponent, Rockford. Stellings started the game off with a goal just two minutes into the beginning of play off of a pass from fellow freshman Alexa Ahlgrim (Fr./Inverness, Ill.). Klotz finished the 4-1 win with a hat-trick, while Rose gave up just one goal in the win over the Regents.After a lopsided 6-0 loss to Grace Bible, the Blue Angels bounced back less than 24 hours after the long journey to Berrien Springs, Mich. MMU posted incredible
"We had to put our young players in places of pressure right away," added coach Gulrajani. "When most of our players won their individual battles collectively we made huge strides. The young players responded and really gave us a huge lift, and the seniors and upperclassmen did a nice job of leading and driving the success."
The win then rallied the Blue Angels to be victorious in three of their final five games as they went on to tie the school's single season record for wins with an 8-7 record. That stretch included back-to-back shutouts against Andrews University and Finlandia. It also include a three game winning streak, the biggest for the Blue Angels in 2016.
"This season really sets a tone for what we are capable of, to tie the school record and to compete in every game. Even the majority of our losses, we created enough chances to win and learned what we needed to do to come out on top of those games." Coach Gulrajani went on, "the recruited players made a huge impact so hopefully it helps with recruiting in the future. We set the bar higher and the players are excited to raise the level in years to come."
After a 3-17 season in 2015, the big turnaround was not only due to the large depth of new recruits, but to the meshing of the old and the new classes. Karina Salgado (So./Chicago, Ill.) again led the Blue Angels in assists. This season, Salagado's role in the offense has spread the oppositions' defense out to allow more and more targets to hit goal in 2016; seven different Blue Angels knocked in goals this season.
Now the Blue Angels will shift gears into the offseason as they recoup and their out-of-season workout regimens. As the coaching staff continues to grow their roster, the rest of the MMU fans sit and wait in anticipation of the next step in Blue Angels soccer. Stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com for all updates and news on your favorite Blue Angels.
