Pcholinsky's Multi-Goal Performance Leads Akron To Dominate 3-0 Win Over Northern Illinois

Sunday, October 20

Akron, Ohio

1 PM

University of Akron

6-9-1, 3-4-1

Northern Illinois

2-11-2, 0-7-1

Northern Ill.

Akron

Pcholinsky's Multi-Goal Performance Leads Akron To Dominate 3-0 Win Over Northern Illinois

October 20 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

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AKRON, Ohio– Sophomore forward Carly Pcholinsky (South Park, Pa.) tallied her second career multi-goal performance and the Zips notched its fifth clean sheet defensively to propel the Akron women's soccer team to a dominate 3-0 victory over Northern Illinois on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium.

With the win, Akron picked up a crucial three points in the Mid-American Conference standings with just three games remaining in the 2019 regular season as UA now stands 3-4-1 in league play and 6-9-1 overall.

Akron jumped out to an early 1-0 lead at the 10:13 mark of the first half courtesy of Pcholinsky's second goal of the campaign. The Zips marched down the pitch and into the far left corner of the Zips offensive third. In a one-on-one match-up with a Huskie player, Pcholinsky made a move past the defender and fired a shot crossed field that bounced passed the NIU keeper and hugged the goal line before landing just inside the front right corner of the net.

Seven minutes later, the Zips pushed their lead to 2-0 over the Huskies at the 17:14 mark. Sophomore Kayleigh Penton (Vermilion, Ohio) trotted out to the corner for the Zips third corner kick of the match. The Zips defender placed a cross into the middle of the box where Worthy struck the ball with her right foot out of the air and nailed the right corner of the net. Worthy earned her third goal of the season while Penton earned her second assist of the campaign.

In the second half, Pcholinsky put the game away for Akron in the 75' (74:52) with her second score of the match. Akron aggressively pushed the ball into the offensive third as it did all contest. Junior forward Annamarie Alfery (Cheswick, Pa.) booted a cross into the middle of the box where Pcholinsky was standing. Pcholinsky settled the ball and off the bounce, fired a rocket over the hands of a leaping NIU keeper and into the back of the net. On the play, Alfery garnered her first career assist.

Akron recorded a season-high three goals in its match against NIU, while Pcholinsky registered her second-career multi-goal performance. For the second time this season, Pcholinsky and Worthy posted a goal in the same match. Pcholinsky's score in the 11' was the second-fastest goal scored of the 2019 campaign for UA behind the Zips goal in the 4' against Morehead State.

In the contest, the Zips dominated from start to finish on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Akron recorded 15 shots and six shots on goal, including a game-high 10 shots in the second half alone. Five Akron players garnered a multi-shot performance including, Penton, Worthy, Pcholinsky, redshirt sophomore Charley Kale (Sylvania, Ohio) and freshman Aislinn Meaney (Ennis, Ireland), who tallied a game-high three shot attempts.

On the defensive side of the ball, Akron turned in a stout defensive effort earning the Zips its fifth shutout of the season. In net, freshman Libby Harper (Hatfield, England) made one save while freshman Vanessa Berlin (Gau-Oderheim, Germany), who entered the contest in the 61^stminute, did not need to register a save.

Akron dominated the first half of the match against Northern Illinois landing a 2-0 lead heading into the locker room, edged the Huskies in shots, 5-to-1, and shots on goal, 2-to-0. To go along with the goals scored by Pcholinsky and Worthy, Penton and Meaney (Ennis, Ireland) pitched in three combined shot attempts with sailing off frame.

Akron's last road trip of the regular season awaits the Zips in week five of league play as UA heads to Michigan. Akron is scheduled to take on Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 4 p.m., before heading to Mount Pleasant, Mich. on Sunday, Oct. 29, to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas.