Huskies Fall 2-0 To Wolverines In Season Opener

Friday, August 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

5:00 PM

University of Washington

0-1-0

Michigan

1-0-0

Washington

Michigan

August 18, 2017 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, MICH – Despite outshooting Michigan 22-7, including a 13-3 mark in the second half, the Washington Huskies fell 2-0 to the Michigan Wolverines in the season opener tonight. Dominique Bond-Flasza, Pascale Dumesnil, Amanda Perez, and Kimberly Keever all had four shots each in the match but could not break the seal for a goal. Washington is now 0-1-0 on the season, while Michigan moves to 1-0-0.

"We had more of the run of play but we were a little tentative," said Head Coach Lesle Gallimore. "We have got some young kids we got to see tonight and there are a lot of bright spots and things we can adjust that will help us moving forward."

Sarah Shimer made two saves for the Huskies but took the loss. Megan Hinz started the game for the Wolverines and made two saves, with Sarah Jackson taking over in the second half and making seven saves.

The Huskies came out on the attack, with Dumesnil recording two shots in the first seven minutes. Unfortunately, a Michigan counterattack netted the first goal of the game as Sarah Stratigakis put the Wolverines up 1-0 at 7:16.

A series of corners would result in another Michigan goal, this one coming at 15:43 to make it 2-0.

"It didn't feel like a 2-0 game because we had a lot of the ball and a lot of chances but when you're chasing the game that long [after early goals], it's tough to claw back," said Gallimore. "Michigan was pretty clinical to be honest, taking advantage on lost possession and slow transition."

Washington had a flurry of chances late in the first half, starting with a blocked shot by Shannon Simon in the 31^st minute. Perez, playing in her first game since suffering a season-ending injury in the 2016 season-opener, would jump on that rebound, only to have her shot saved away.

The Huskies would come back and earn a corner after a Shaye Villanueva shot at 37:29. Keever found the ball off the corner and let loose with a rocket, only to have it go wide of the net.

The Huskies would outshoot Michigan 9-4 in the first half but still trailed 2-0.

It did not take long for the Husky offense to put the pressure on after halftime. Bond-Flasza and Mireya Grey each had shots in the first two minutes of the second half before Washington earned its second corner of the day, which ended fruitlessly after a foul. Grey would end her collegiate debut with two shots, one on goal.

Washington continued to control the offensive flow throughout the second half but could not break the seal. The Huskies managed three shots in a two-minute span highlighted by a header by Perez off a corner at 71:42 that was saved.

Keever was a part of a late push by the Huskies with a header in the 85^th minute and another shot wide in the 87^th. Those were two of Washington's 13 second-half shots, including a 15-minute span to end the game that saw Washington outshoot Michigan 6-1. The Huskies allowed just three shots in the final 45 by Michigan.

"One of the things we keep talking about is that we want to be a difficult team to score on and [tonight] we just played a little tentatively," said Gallimore.

Next on the docket for the Huskies is a trip across the state to play the Michigan State Spartans. That matchup will be on Sunday, August 20 at 10:00 am PT. That will be game two of a three-game road trip to start the season, with the Huskies also set to play at Illinois on Thursday, August 24 at 5:00 pm PT.

Make sure to follow Husky women's soccer on Twitter with the username @UW_WSoccer and on Instagram at uw_wsoccer.