The ULM women’s soccer team won its first spring match of the off-season 4-0 after hosting Northwestern State University on March 16.
The Warhawks haven’t played a real match since the Sun Belt tournament, and players such as ULM forward Skylar Blaise mentioned how eager they were to play again.
“We have been training for like two months now, and it’s good to have a first home game,” Blaise said.
ULM focused on offense from the start. Midfielder Vanessa Praher netted two goals within the first 30 minutes of the game.
“My plan was to score a goal and take an assist. Now, I scored two,” Praher said. “I wanted to go for three, but I couldn’t.”
The team controlled the ball, and the passes between midfielders opened the space for the ULM offense.
ULM began to tire in the second half, plagued by lost possessions and little control. However, in the last minute, ULM got through the defense. A header from defender Janne Van Burmmelen nearly gave ULM a 3-0 lead in the first half. The ball didn’t reach the goal, so the Warhawks settled for a 2-0 lead as they entered the locker room.
The second half started with a repeat of the first half. ULM brought pressure by capitalizing on the Demons’ mistakes.
Later on, Blaise got past NSU’s defense. Her pass set up an easy tap-in to ULM’s new forward, Jensyn Lins. However, she couldn’t turn that opportunity into a goal.
A mere minute after the miss, ULM earned a freekick outside the box. Once again, the Warhawks offense missed the back of the net.
The Warhawks’ offensive performance built momentum, creating another opportunity to score. Midfielder Sara Navarro’s shot from outside the box landed the third goal for ULM.
NSU tried to control the ball. The Demons made substitutions, such as substituting its forward, focusing more on offense and trying to get a goal.
While the substitutions put more pressure on ULM’s defense, a save from goalkeeper Maddox Dolly denied the visitor’s shot on goal. Dolly went on to tally three saves during the second half.
Later, a dummy from Lins created space for defender Chloe Robbins, who assisted Skylar Blaise. Matched 1-on-1 against NSU’s goalkeeper, Blaise shot the bottom corner to make the score 4-0. Robbins explained why the team produced so well on the field.
“Well, we have really been training a lot every day,” Robbins said. “Every day, we wake up super early and get out on the field, and we really been putting in the work.”
The Warhawks dominated the game, and the match ended 4-0.
Blaise expressed her excitement for the regular season to come around once more.
“We are ready for the fall season. We’re definitely going to make big changes here, and we want the support,” Blaise said. “We can’t wait for the fall season, and it all starts now.”
