It’s a risk you run whenever you schedule your first opponent of the season to be one of the 64 teams in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and the Kent State women’s soccer team saw that decision backfire with a 3-1 loss to Butler on Thursday.
The Flashes (0-1) were let down by a defensive unit that only allowed 13 goals throughout the entire 2017 regular season. The team only allowed three goals in a game once last year, their 18th contest of the campaign against Bowling Green on October 22.
Kent State coach Rob Marinaro immediately pointed out the team’s set piece defense as an area that would have to be improved quickly.