The Dayton Flyers women’s soccer team opened the 2023 season on Thursday evening battling the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds and a steady rain shower that resulted in early nerves, sloppy execution, and a 1-0 halftime deficit. It was a tale of two halves however as UD pounded the net with four goals after intermission to flip the script and earn the 4-1 victory.

Dayton didn’t waste time controlling possession in the opening minutes of the match despite a steady rain making for tricky playing conditions on an otherwise impeccable natural grass surface at Baujan Field. The Flyer had an easier time stringing multiple passes together by working out out of the back line and through their midfield targets. UD was patient over the first 25 minutes — perhaps a little too patient — and subsequently struggled to generate meaningful scoring chances to reward their domination on the ball. As UD approached the Greyhound goal box, connectivity often fell apart as players mis-read the intentions of teammates. Spacing was also problematic during moments when Loyola retreated and looked vulnerable in their back line, making their job of defending the box relatively easy. Shots on goal were few and far between and UD’s best chances either came on errant crosses or ambitious strikes from distance.

The Greyhounds spent much of the first half counter-punching. With less possession, they leveraged several key moments in quick transition to catch the Flyer defense out of shape and surrendering too much room off the ball. Flyer GK Batoul Reda came up big on a couple key stops when things got sloppy, but the lack of focus eventually cost UD in the 31st minute on another Greyhound counter that opened up space for a clean look that found the back of the net. Down 1-0 with 15 minutes until intermission, Dayton still had time to find an equalizer.

The remainder of the half finished much like it began however as UD continued to own a 65/35 possession advantage but never looked all that dangerous along the way. To Loyola’s credit they remained compact and stingy in their defensive third and closed gaps faster than Dayton could exploit them. Part of the Flyers’ frustration was a loose first touch inside 30 yards that often snuffed out a quality surge by allowing Loyola to poke the ball away. On other occasions, passes were extremely deliberate and while UD connected the dots, it was as much a lateral exercise as it was moving the ball forward in the final third of the pitch.

First half stats favored UD in shots 8-5. No corner kicks were attempted by either team.

With an opportunity to regroup in the locker room, UD needed a greater sense of urgency to turn things around in the second half. The first 20 minutes after the restart was largely more of the same. The Flyers almost fell behind 2-0 on a pair of miscues in the defensive third. Reda came up huge once again and got some help from the crossbar too. Still down 1-0, Dayton remained at arm’s reach of tying things up and changing the tone of the match. Poise and urgency was needed.

They found both in the 66th minute when Madison Wilson and Diana Benigno teamed up to take a long-distance strike and mix it with a redirect to beat Greyhound GK Paige Sim to even the match at 1-1. The goal didn’t just tie the game however; it seemed to pop the balloon of tightness and anxiety that plagued the first hour of play. From here on, Dayton was far more purposeful, urgent, and opportunistic in the forward half of the field.

Marlee Taylor put the Flyers up 2-1 in the 74th minute to complete the comeback, striking a ball from 25yds out that stayed low and skipped past the goalkeeper. In a span of eight minutes, Loyola’s prospects of a season-opening upset on the road had seemingly come and gone.

It was still anyone’s match however and one mistake could cost UD a victory if they weren’t on top of things in the last 15 minutes. An insurance goal would remove the tension and the UD coaching staff got precisely what they wanted just two minutes later when Karli Ferguson picked off a low goalkick and quickly bull-rushed the goal mouth from 30yds out. She outmuscled a chasing defender and slotted a ball past the goalkeeper to put UD up 3-1 and ice the game away. Mairin Wessner cleaned up a rebound off the post after a corner kick to round out the scoring in the 84th minute and end things with a 4-1 victory.

The stats illustrate the improved play in the second half — largely in the last 30 minutes of the match as the Flyers out-shot Loyola 10-5 and out-cornered them 4-1 after intermission. The match got more physical along the way, but UD did well to win loose-ball challenges and forced the Greyhounds to foul — 16 whistles to just four for Dayton over the entire match.

As season openers go, it was a mixed bag and that’s what fans often get in mid-August as teams stop tackling one another and finally have an opportunity to compete against fresh opposition. Communication, purpose, and generating quality shots on goal were problematic for much of the game, but UD deserves credit for fighting back with 25 minutes left and eventually finding the back of the net (repeatedly) during crunch time. This could have been a disastrous result for a program that’s been working hard to regain that “mystique” of invincibility that dominated inferior opponents at-will. To walk away with a 4-1 victory could prove a character-builder.

With the transfer of last year’s top A10 goal scorer (Itala Gemelli), finding new faces to put balls in the back of the net could remain a work-in-progress during the non-conference portion of the schedule as players define their roles and abilities. Ferguson has a bulldog spirit in her play, while Taylor, Noel Blain, Laney Huber, and others bring lots of experience. It might be a committee effort this year which is not a negative as long as the committee is a consistent and collective force.

Surrendering a goal to Loyola was disappointing given the Greyhounds’ overall lack of offensive punch, and it could have been worse had Reda not saved everyone’s bacon on a couple key stops. With Mackenzie Lutz and Alicia Donley — two preseason All A10 defenders — shoring up the back line, UD should be a lock-down defensive team that bagels most opponents such as Loyola. There’s work to be done here and the midfield must do a better job of tracking back and not leaving the back three players matched up against four or five attackers.

That said, Donley was terrific on Thursday evening at right fullback, using her height, speed, long strides, and physicality to clean up numerous messes. She also did a great job of pushing forward, providing service, and remains UD’s target player on corner kicks. Perhaps most obvious however was her confidence on the ball. Blain was also strong with the ball at her feet, showcasing a few tricks to shake defenders and open up spacing moving forward.

UD remains at home for a 6pm showdown with in-state rival Cincinnati on Sunday evening.