SIOUX FALLS- Nothing would be sweeter for the University of Sioux Falls Soccer squad than winning on senior day and their home finale. On Sunday, that is exactly what happened when the Cougars defeated the Winona State Warriors 2-1 in a rainy Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) match.
The Numbers:
Junior Olivia Valdez and freshman Grace Held did the most damage against the Warriors, scoring the goals that led USF to their second straight victory.
Freshman Holli Knudsen had a stellar 90 minutes in the net, allowing only one goal and making 11 big saves.
The Cougars finished the weekend with 12 points (four goals, four assists) and a two-game winning streak.
The Seniors:
The Cougars honored five seniors on Sunday, giving gifts and showing their appreciation for their imprint on the USF Soccer Program. Those honored were McKayla Philippi, Becca Schmitz, Erin O'Tool, Lily McKown, and Danielle Cooper.
Match Notes:
Both teams came in swinging in the first 45 minutes, but it was not until the 40th minute that a team struck, with senior Erin O'Tool feeding the ball to Valdez in a penalty box skirmish that Valdez finally was able to break out of and scored the go-ahead goal and give USF a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
In the opening minutes of the first half, Held was issued a yellow card (caution), but made people forget about that when she took a breakaway pass from junior Kassidy Graber, taking a two-vs.-one to the net before getting into a battle with the Warriors' goalkeeper and another WSU player for the ball, just to find the net amongst them.
It took just two minutes for Winona State to strike back with a goal and make it a 2-1 match.
In the final minutes, Winona State played with some force after their goal, and Knudsen made a crucial play in the 89th minute on a WSU corner kick. The Warriors got the corner into the penalty box, amongst four Warriors who were posted in front of the net, just to have Knudsen emerge in the middle of the four with the ball in hand.
Head Coach Brittany Domino:
What's Next:
The Cougars will play their season finale on the road at Marshall, Minn., on Friday against the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. The Mustangs are coming off a 4-0 win against Upper Iowa on Sunday.
