CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State Vikings women's soccer team fell behind 2-0 before rallying for four unanswered second-half goals on their way to a 4-2 win over Green Bay on Wednesday afternoon inside the Krenzler Bubble.
Cleveland State (4-4-0) recorded four goals in a single half for the first time since tallying four over the opening 45 minutes in a 5-1 victory over Youngstown State in September 2017.
Four different Vikings scored in the match, including the first goals of the season for Ja'Maya Ward and Megan Bine. Kathryn Ramicone started Cleveland State's rally in the 50th minute while Christina Trickett netted her third tally of the campaign on a 58th-minute penalty kick.
Goalkeeper Stevie Holbrook moved above .500 at 4-3-0 following a three-save effort as the Vikings held a narrow advantage in shots at 12-11.
THE GAME
Green Bay brought early pressure with four shots and four corners over the opening 15 minutes. The Phoenix broke through on their fourth corner of the game in the 13th minute when Savanna Hayes headed a ball in with an assist from Emily Murphy.
The Vikings nearly leveled it on multiple occasions over the remainder of the half. First, Ramicone had a pair of shots on goal, including a header and a hard left-footed attempt from 20 yards out, that were both saved by the Green Bay keeper in the 30th minute. Less than five minutes later, a Trickett corner bounced to the foot of Ali Martin, whose shot nearly found the back of the net but was saved.
Cleveland State held Green Bay without a shot over the final 15 minutes of the opening half other than a deep last-second attempt that sailed harmlessly wide left.
The Phoenix doubled their lead when Murphy scored from a tough angle only three minutes after the intermission. The Vikings broke through less than two minutes later on Ramicone's second marker of the season. The Vikings played a ball into the box from the left side that was controlled by the Phoenix, but Ramicone forced a turnover at the top of the 18 and fired a low shot to the left corner of the net to make it 2-1.
In the 58th minute, a Cleveland State free kick from midfield resulted in a penalty kick when Maddie Young was hauled down while trying to make a play on the ball. Trickett recorded the equalizer by calmly converting the ensuing penalty with a well-placed ball on the lower right side for a 2-2 game.
Only two minutes later, the Vikings caught a break when Bine played a ball into the box from just inside Green Bay territory that was inadvertently headed in by a Phoenix defender, giving Cleveland State its first lead of the day at 3-2.
In the 78th minute, Ward added an insurance tally for a 4-2 edge, her first of the season. Lina Feltovich's crossing attempt from the right side nearly snuck in but was deflected by a Phoenix defender on the back post. The ball bounced right to the feet of Ward, who gave the keeper no chance on a one-timer from 10 yards out.
The Vikings limited the Phoenix to only one shot on goal in the sceond half while scoring on four of their six shots after the break.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will travel to Robert Morris next Tuesday, March 30 for a 1:00 p.m. match.
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