July 3, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Indy Eleven News Release
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Indy Eleven capped the Westfield portion of its USL W League regular season home slate with a 3-1 win over Kalamazoo FC in front of a sellout crowd of 1,019 at the Grand Park Events Center this afternoon.
Eleven forward Madison Williams scored her ninth and team-high tenth goals of the campaign, including the match-winner in the 68th minute, to help keep the recently crowned Great Lakes Division champions undefeated at 9W-0L-2D with one match remaining in the regular season.
After wrapping up the division title – and the playoff berth that accompanied it – two nights prior at Detroit City FC, Eleven head coach Paul Dolinsky had the luxury of rotating his squad, which included giving goalkeeper Kate Phillips, defender Nikia Smith, and forward Katie Koger their club debuts in the starting XI.
“It was our second game in under 72 hours. We were tired, but the ideas and the intent were fantastic, and the discipline was there. We stayed patient and we broke through with Maddy’s second goal there late in the second half,” said Dolinsky after the match. “It was a good performance. Expectations are always set to a standard that you want to go out and win a game, and we did that a little differently today. I’m really happy with the way the girls were able to grind and do what was asked.”
As it has in all five of its home matches to date, Indy Eleven took the game’s opening goal, this time in the 13th minute. Forward Rachel McCarthy began the play by winning a goal kick and carrying to the endline before playing centrally to the six, where Williams cut inside her mark to redirect into the lower left corner and give the Eleven the early lead.
Kalamazoo looked to have a case for a penalty just shy of the half hour mark when Grace Labadie tried to turn inside the area and went down under contact. While no point to the spot was made, the visitors nearly made good on the corner that ensued, only to see a header whistle over frame from close range. Williams kept the pressure up as the half progressed, her block of a goalkeeper clearance in the 33rd minute nearly going in and a shot from distance in the 40th bouncing just wide, leaving Indy’s lead at 1-0 heading into the halftime break.
Kalamazoo came out of the locker rooms the aggressors, and their increased possession in the attacking third paid off in the 57th minute. Off a throw in, Laura Maria controlled to the left…