DAYTON (OH) — The Flyers were uncharacteristically out-shot, but did a better job of capitalizing on their chances to top Cincinnati 3-1 Friday evening at Baujan Field. After a scoreless first half, Dayton scored three times in the final 45 minutes to put the match out of reach. The loss drops the Bearcats to 0-3, while UD improves to 2-1.

There wasn’t much to see in the first half as both teams had difficulty generating extended possession of the ball. Instead, the teams took turns opening up the field and subsequently wasting the opportunities with poor passing or stolen possession from overly deliberate play. The pace of the game was slow, allowing the defenses for each team to disrupt play and keep the overall flow of the game in check.

The Flyers had a couple good offensive chances early in the match however, mostly on the foot of Juliana Libertin setting up her teammates with first-class crosses from the right baseline. UD couldn’t finish their opportunities inside the box. Bearcat GK Natalie Smith stoned Ashley Campbell from 8yds out later in the half to keep the match scoreless.

Defensively, UD was caught flat-footed at times, and took poor angles on Bearcat players chasing balls down the touch lines. Dayton also had trouble keeping the run of play in front of them, allowing long balls over the top to get behind the back line. Fortunately, Goalkeeper Elizabeth James or the offside flag saved the day.

The last 15 minutes of the first half suffered from sloppy play in the middle third as both teams did a lot of running but lacked purpose or made an effort to link up with teammates. The Flyers should have done better with loose-ball chances, but the smaller UC players were a half-step quicker at times to poke balls away and start their own offense. When that happened, UD was slow to recover, chasing their marks as space opened up for the opposition.

Halftime stats favored UC in shots (12-10), while corner kicks were 2-1 Flyers.

The first 10 minutes of the second half started much like the first half ended, but Dayton slowly rounded into better form and began connecting passes together — especially in the midfield. Flyer substitute Chelsea Rose — normally a defender in past seasons — came in and played up top. Not long thereafter, she made a central run and one-touched a perfect Libertin cross in the net to put Dayton up 1-0 in the 65th minute.

From there, the match was all Flyers.

Suddenly, UD was a half-step quicker to the ball and doing a much better job in the midfield, utilizing one-touch give-and-go’s to create a numbers advantage moving forward. The first touches all over the field were a significant improvement, while runs off the ball were far more purposeful.

UD made it 2-0 just one minute later when the Flyers linked up with a beautiful sequence of touches starting in the midfield and ending with an astute one-touch pass by Stephanie Emery that freed Nicole Waters sneaking behind the last defender in the box. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Waters slotted her chance to the upper far post.

The run of play continued to favor UD, and the Bearcats looked tired as the second half wore on. Knocking the ball around with purpose and a sense of urgency, the Flyers created a bevy of excellent scoring chances by moving forward with pace. That quicker pace changed the entire complexion of the match and made the lethargic play of the first 60 minutes feel like a distant memory.

Waters slotted a beautiful ball from the midfield stripe to Ashley Campbell streaking into the box. The perfectly-weighted pass freed up Campbell behind the back line as the goalkeeper charged from her goal. Taken out by the goalkeeper, the referee pointed to the penalty spot and awarded the Flyers a well-deserved PK. Libertin’s first-class finish made the score 3-0 in the 77th minute and effectively sealed the game.

The only downside of the last 20 minutes was a defensive breakdown in the 89th minute when UC connected on a shot that beat James to the near post. It was a goal the Flyers shouldn’t have conceded and reflects on the work that still needs to be done on defense.

UC outshot UD 19-17 while corner kicks were 2-2.

Overall, the last 35 minutes of play were as good as the first 55 minutes were lethargic. The solid play later in the match is an indication of the high ceiling of the Flyers, but it’s hard to ignore a distinct lack of speed at times in most places on the field.

James looked more comfortable in goal on Friday evening, while midfielder Nicole Waters continues to showcase a level of play others are trying to catch up to.

Wrapping up the match in good form is a good place to begin preparation for Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans will be far tougher, more physical, and much quicker than Cincinnati, requiring UD’s best effort thus far. Kickoff is 1pm.