East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University soccer team concluded its season with a 1-0 victory against the University of Akron. The match took place at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2024. Sophomore Olivia Sipsock scored the decisive goal in the fourth minute, marking her fifth goal of the season.

Eastern finished seventh in the Mid-American Conference standings with 14 points, just one point behind Bowling Green. The Eagles ended their season with a record of 7-6-5 overall and 3-3-4 in conference play. In contrast, Akron's season record stood at 5-9-4 overall and winless in the MAC at 0-9-2.

The game's only goal came from a 16-yard strike by Sipsock after a blocked shot by sophomore Cameryn Susey found its way to her foot. Redshirt sophomore Ella Holland played every minute as goalkeeper throughout the season, making five saves during this match.

Akron had more shots than Eastern with a margin of 15 to 12; however, Eastern held an advantage in corner kicks by five to four.

In terms of individual performances, Sarah Van Euwen and Scarlett Thomas each played full matches for Eastern. Lucia Johnson provided the assist for Sipsock's goal, marking her first career point upon returning to Akron.

Historically, Eastern now leads the all-time series against Akron with a record of 15 wins, six losses, and two draws. This victory secured EMU's first winning season since spring 2021 and their highest number of clean sheets since achieving ten in 2009. Additionally, Holland became the first EMU player since Kaylin Williams in 2016 to play every minute in a single season.

For further updates on EMU Eagles soccer, fans are encouraged to visit EMUEagles.com or follow their social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram under @EMUSoccer.