Hernandez Scores Fifth Goal, but U-M, Louisville Settle for Draw

Friday, September 10

Louisville, Ky.

5:00 PM

Michigan

5-1-1, 0-0-0

Louisville

4-1-1, 0-0-0

Michigan

Louisville

Nicki Hernandez (Louisville Athletics)

Hernandez Scores Fifth Goal, but U-M, Louisville Settle for Draw

9/10/2021 7:56:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Scott Kemps

» Nicki Hernandez had U-M's marker in the 18th minute. The goal was her team-best fifth of the season and 20th in her U-M career.
» Raleigh Loughman and Dani Wolfe had the assists for U-M. Loughman's helper is the 15th of her career.
» Michigan outshot the Louisville 23-6, with Sarah Stratigakis taking a match-high seven shots.

Site: Louisville, Ky. (Lynn Stadium)
Score: #16 Michigan 1, Louisville 1 (2OT)
Records: U-M (5-1-1), Louisville (4-1-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Sept. 12 -- at Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio), 3 p.m.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The sixteenth-ranked University of Michigan women's soccer team, despite a 23-6 shot advantage, fought to a 1-1 draw against Louisville on Friday night (Sept. 10) at Lynn Stadium. Senior Nicki Hernandez scored U-M's goal, her fifth of the season, in the 18th minute.

Michigan (5-1-1) controlled much of the ball and the run of play in the opening minutes, first earning a golden opportunity from junior Dani Wolfe at the five-minute mark. Wolfe took a service at the top of the six, but pushed the shot over the bar. Ten minutes in, U-M had two chances along with two narrow offsides calls to pressure the Cardinals backline.

The pressure paid off in the 18th minute, as Hernandez gave U-M the breakthrough. Wolfe won a ball back in the middle of the park and fed senior Raleigh Loughman on the right wing. Loughman delivered an inch-perfect service just inside the 18 that Hernandez one-timed home to give the Wolverines the 1-0 advantage.

Tweet of the Match

?Hernandez goal from 18'

via @accnetwork #GoBlue? | #InPursuit pic.twitter.com/fVpT57Y616
— Michigan Women's Soccer (@umichwsoccer) September 10, 2021

In the 20th minute, Louisville's Nina Nicosia found the bottom-right of U-M's goal against the run of play to level the count at 1.

Eight minutes later, senior Sarah Stratigakis nearly gave U-M the lead once again, as she found space just outside the six. Her shot around a pair of Cardinals defenders hit the left post.

At the half, U-M led 8-3 on shots, with four coming on frame.

The Maize and Blue continued to press in the early portion of the second half, with Stratigakis having four in the first 11 minutes and totaled seven on the match as a whole.

Defender Sydney Shepherd was responsible for a pair of U-M's top chances in the half off corners. Her first chance came in the 77th minute, while the second chance in the 85th minute was headed from the back post and went off the crossbar.

After 90 minutes, the sides remained deadlocked as the match headed to extra time. Michigan held a 15-5 lead in shots, with five on goal, to only three on frame for the Cardinals.

In extra time, U-M's best chance came in 96th minute, as the Wolverines hit their third post of the match. This time, a failed Cardinals clearance inside the box was collected by Meredith Haakenson. Her shot at the near post rattled the woodwork and was cleared away. Collectively, U-M outshot the Cardinals 8-1 in the 20 minutes of extra time.

The goal for Hernandez, her team-leading fifth of the year, gives her 20 goals in her Wolverine career, while Loughman's assist on the goal was the 15th of her career.

Michigan continues its two-match road trip, taking on Cincinnati on Sunday (Sept. 12) at 3 p.m. at Gettler Stadium. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.