KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan women's soccer (10-4-4, 8-2-1 MAC) closed the regular season with a 4-1 win over Akron (7-7-4, 3-4-4) Sunday afternoon at the WMU Soccer Complex, led by a goal and two assists from junior forward
Kaiya Stewart on Senior Day.
The Broncos had already locked up their fourth straight MAC regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament on Thursday at UMass, and they wasted no time Sunday. Redshirt junior forward
Tessa Fagerson put Western Michigan in front 3:05 into the match, finishing a Stewart feed with her right foot into the top left corner. The goal ended Akron goalkeeper Sara Bower's chase for a school-record eighth shutout of the season inside the first four minutes. Bower entered the day tied for Akron's single-season record with seven.
Stewart doubled the lead at 16:28, scoring into the bottom left off an assist from junior midfielder
Meredith Vance.
Akron (7-7-4, 3-4-4 MAC) pulled one back just before the break. Olivia Pilato scored with 22 seconds left in the first half, assisted by Jordanne Oberhaus, and the Broncos went into halftime up 2-1.
Western Michigan controlled the second half and finished with a 22-8 shot advantage. Freshman midfielder
Simone Sharpless restored the two-goal cushion in the 65th minute, scoring into the bottom left off Stewart's second assist of the day. Forward
Kiya Gilliand capped the scoring at 81:41, assisted by Sharpless.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Reagan Sulaver made two saves in 90 minutes for the Broncos. Bower finished with five saves for the Zips. Western Michigan led 9-3 in shots on goal and 2-0 in corner kicks.
Stewart closes the regular season as the MAC leader in points (17) and goals (7) in conference play, with Fagerson second in points (15). Vance's assist was her seventh in MAC play, the most in the league. Fagerson and Stewart share the team lead with eight goals each this season.
Up next, the Broncos head to Columbus, Ohio, for the MAC Tournament.
