A gorgeous October afternoon provided ideal weather, but not an ideal scoring line for John Carroll University.
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John Carroll dropped their first Ohio Athletic Conference match in a 3-1 decision with the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears.
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The first half of action started out with a bang. 12 minutes into the contest, ONU lined up for a corner kick on the JCU side. ONU's Haley Moses placed the ball into the box, where an unmarked Alyssa Manley headed the ball towards the left post into the net, narrowly escaping Guarnera's diving hands.Â
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That would be the lone goal from the first half. Ohio Northern would nurse that 1-0 lead into the halftime period.
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The Blue Streaks Guarnera faced five total shots, saving three, whereas the John Carroll offensive squad got off three attempts, with one requiring ONU intervention in first half action.Â
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Ohio Northern began the second half the same way they started the first: with a score.
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Off a pass from teammate Haley Moses, Abbey Oswald rifled a screaming shot past Guarnera for the Polar Bear's second unanswered score. That was Moses's second assist of the evening.
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The rest of the half was generally quiet. Each team having opportunities, but each defense refused to yield.
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Oswald would find the answer through heavy pressure from the JCU defense. A cross from Oswald was deflected to Manley, who slammed home a score, increasing the ONU lead to three. The score marked Manley's second net finder of the day.
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Four minutes later, John Carroll's efforts finally paid off when
Dre Regrut placed a beautiful ball into the box that found the scoring touch of a heavily defended
Lexie Keller.
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Keller's strike marks her second goal of the season.
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The lone goal from the hosting side was all the Blue Streaks had to offer. Ohio Northern would hold on to win the 3-1 decision.
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The Blue Streaks move to 5-4-6 overall and 2-1-2 in the OAC, with the loss. It was John Carroll's first loss since September 11, ending a ten-match unbeaten streak (6-0-4) that tied the rpogram record set back in 1999.
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