ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College women's soccer team battled Wilmington College to a scoreless draw on Friday night at Docking Stadium. The result moved the Bulldogs to 1-0-1 on the season against a Wilmington team that advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament last year.
Wilmington applied pressure early, but Adrian goalkeeper Riley Miller made a save in the eighth minute to keep the match scoreless. The Bulldogs responded with three shots on goal during the opening half. Delaney Batur recorded Adrian's first opportunity in the 19th minute before Madison Verhaeghe and Samantha Guciardo added chances later in the period.
The Adrian defense delivered a strong performance throughout the match, limiting quality scoring opportunities and helping the Bulldogs record their first shutout of the season. Wilmington controlled much of the possession during the second half, but Adrian's back line remained organized under pressure.
With approximately 12 minutes remaining, the Bulldogs defended consecutive Wilmington corner kicks. Miller made a save following the first corner before Adrian cleared the second opportunity to preserve the scoreless tie. Miller later came through with two more stops in the 86th and 87th minutes.
Adrian generated second-half opportunities from Ashley Hughes, Batur, and Verhaeghe but was unable to find the winning goal. Wilmington finished with a 14-6 advantage in shots and an 8-3 edge in shots on goal.
Miller completed the shutout with eight saves over 90 minutes. Batur and Verhaeghe led the Adrian attack with two shots apiece, while Guciardo added a shot on goal.
The Bulldogs will return to action on Sunday, September 6 when they travel to Manchester University for a 3 p.m. match.
